Look to the past, prevent the future
by blackwitchkarma
Summary: On the request of Bou-san Naru and Lin have a reunion to solve the case of Vladna Uni. Naru and Mai haven't seen each other in years and their last meeting didn't end well. Now Naru's had a vision showing him something displeasing involving... COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone!! Oh first of all**

**DISCLAIMER: only disclaimer i will do for this whole story cuz I mean it for every chapter, promise. I do not own Ghost Hunt but I wish I did. All rights to it do not belong to me.**

**Anyway a few things before you start. Ok, I've watched all of GH anime but not the manga. I'm on the part where Mai and everyone find out that Naru's been searching for Gene's body. I'm reading it on but part 3 is not up yet so i was wondering if anyone knows where i can watch it. I sorta know what happens at the end though so I'm not clueless. I just want to read it for myself.**

**_Important Below: Please Read_**

**Ok, back on topic of this story. The story is set five years after Naru left Japan to head back to England but I've changed it slightly. He and Mai got into a big argument before he left and he hasn't seen or heard from her since he left and came back. He keeps in contact with everyone else but he hasn't brought them into an investigation since he left Japan. He still works with Lin and has reopened the same office that he previously owned and everyone is aware that he is Oliver Davis.**

**That's all for now. If you like it, plz review or review to tell me what you think.**

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****Chapter 1**

"What's wrong Oliver?" came the concerned voice of Luella over the phone.

"It's nothing mother, just a new case has arrived," Naru said as he flicked through the university's request, pen in hand to make notes. The case itself seemed slightly unusual.

"Oh, I suppose that means that you're either going to hang up soon or tut and sigh until I finish calling you," the voice sounded Luella and Naru repressed the sigh that had been about to leave his mouth. He knew that his mother missed him but really, he had work to do. He was twenty two; he didn't need checking up on by his parents.

"Naru, when are you coming home?" the question caught Naru off guard. It had always been an unspoken rule between him and his parents that he would stay here until he felt that he could leave everything in Japan and move on. But for now he wasn't ready. For his mother to ask him and use _that_ tone meant she had had enough of barely seeing him. "You said you'd only stay there for a few months when you left but it's already turned into five years. I want you back home and so does your father,"

"I know that Mum but there's so many more spiritual cases over here compared to over in England," Naru started off the main argument that he normally used.

"Yes, yes. So many more cases and they're all so interesting and challenging to your intellect," Luella sounded tired now and Naru could almost see the crease between her eyebrows as she worried, "But there are interesting cases over here as well, honey. Don't forget that,"

Naru remained silent and he heard a sigh come from the other end of your phone, "Well, I'll ring you soon. Ok Naru? But perhaps _you_ could ring sometime and start the conversation," the phone hung up and Naru gazed off into the distance for a second before he put the receiver down.

The folder stared up at him reading in large block capitals '**VLADNA UNIVERSITY**'. The file was thick and showed potential to become a very interesting case, at least this was according to Lin and if he said it, it was probably true.

"How'd the call go?" came the bored voice from the computer. Lin like usual was researching the university while making sure that he was packing the right equipment.

"They want me to return to England," he said annoyed slightly, "But…"

"You want to stay here," Lin summarised, "Perhaps you want to see some familiar faces?" came the cautious voice, "Or one face in particular?"

Why was everyone supposedly against him tonight? First his mother and now Lin! He knew that that subject wasn't very welcome right now. He knew his behaviour back then hadn't been at his politest and now he regretted it.

_**I hate you!!!**_ Those words echoed in his mind over and over again, the same girl's voice over and over. The same face repeated in his mind as _those_ words shouted throughout his head.

"Not tonight Lin." Naru said in a tone that clearly closed the subject but Lin was persistent.

"If not now, when? It's always not now or later. But sooner or later you're going to have to face up to the fact that you loved Mai and screwed it up," Lin shouted at him, his hand slammed onto the desk and he had half risen out of his seat.

"I didn't love her," Naru pronounced slowly, "Anyway she loved my brother, not me," he said before muttering me, "someone she hadn't even met in the real world,"

"What was the last part?" Lin asked.

"Nothing Lin. Anyway about this case. When did they request assistance?" Naru thought back but he couldn't remember having any visits from the university.

"They didn't request us. Bou-san asked us to help out with it,"

"He did. How'd he hear about the university?" Naru thought thinking of the base player monk.

"Some person he knows who's at the university requested him to come and sort it out. But when he went he said it was too big for him to handle on his own so he came to us,"

"Who was the person who asked him. A student?" Naru asked distantly as he skimmed through the information.

"Yeah I think he said they were a student. Something about helping out at his gigs and he owed them a favour,"

"Ok, is everything ready to go?" Naru asked, shutting the case and dropping it onto the coffee table.

"Yeah, I'll just pack it up into the van and we'll be ready tomorrow. The others said they'll meet us at the University. It'll be like a reunion. Eh Naru?" Lin called as he walked into the university.

"Yeah a reunion," he said unenthusiastically, _only one person won't be there_. He flopped down on the couch, letting his head rest against a cushion and his eyes slowly closed.

_Blackness surrounded him as he fell down deeper and deeper into the pits of something he could not describe. It was like a vault of memories but he knew it wasn't, nor was he looking into the past. It seemed like the present but not and then he was in a different place. At a cabin surrounded by trees. He could hear the sounds of laughter coming from inside the cabin but he didn't feel like joining the people whom he considered friends. Not now. Now that he was so close! He heard voices. A small pathway led down to the lake and he followed it. He knew his brother was at the lake and as he ran down the path he felt himself being pushed back. Away! He fought the force and rushed down the steep bank towards the lake side, just in time to see a girl falling into the lake. _Mai_ he called out but it was too late. He was being pushed up back into the darkness._

_Now it was different. His vision pitched green and he dreaded to see the death of someone he might know or hold dear. The world tilted and he felt himself falling. His closed eyes opened and he found himself in a room gazing upon himself._

_The room was immaculate and tidy. A desk in the middle with paperwork on it with a beautiful garden view looking out onto the mountains a distance away. The room itself was in fact not a room in the sense of an office, Naru noticed. The walls were covered in shelves upon which many books sat in their proper order, the large room was a library. _Impossible, I'm going to see my own death_, he thought to himself. Rows upon rows of books there were and as he stared around him he noticed himself or his future self look up from the book he was reading to acknowledge somebody's presence._

_A girl, no not a girl, a women walked up to him. A smiled twinkled in her eyes and her mouth held a warm smile. She had long brown hair and was quite tall but not as tall as himself. The odd thing about her was that from her build he would have imagined her to be slim but instead her stomach stuck out slightly through the t-shirt she wore. As he watched he saw himself smile in response and he noticed something in his eyes that put him into shock. He couldn't help but notice the way his own eyes followed her as she went over to one of the shelves to pick up a book. The way his mouth quirked up as he listened to what she was saying and even laughing. _Is that really me?_ The girl smiled and walked over to the desk, depositing the book before heading over to another shelf and the Naru viewing the vision watched her curiously. _Who was she to make his future self smile like this? Who was she, whom his future self was in… in love with? _He stared at her seriously and took in her characteristics, trying to match them up with someone he knew, anyone but nothing came to him. Then with a jolt a question struck at his heart. _Does this mean that I'll be over Mai when this happens?_ He shook his head. That was impossible, he'd always love her._

_He took in the scene again, confused. The vision had started off green so who's death was he viewing? He uttered a shout as he noticed a dark figure enter the side of his vision heading towards his future self. A ghost! Naru shouted as he watched it take possession of his body so easily, like it had no trouble breaking through his barriers that he'd erected around himself. This was impossible. He watched helplessly as he saw himself rise up from his chair and approach the girl by the shelves. She turned upon hearing footsteps approach her and her smile grew warmer as she noticed it was him. But then the smile slid from her face as she noticed the malicious tilt of his mouth and the cruelty in his eyes. She backed away from him, calling his name over and over. Trying to get him to return to normal. Not realising he was possessed or if she did she was hoping to get him to focus on her and fight against the spirit. But that method rarely worked._

_Fear in her eyes, she opened her eyes to call out but the possessed Naru clamped his hand over her mouth before using his other hand to grip her throat and squeeze. Her struggling increased as he tightened his grip but it began to slow and slow._

**NO! I CAN'T WATCH THIS!!!!**Naru thought repeatedly over and over in his head as he tried to shut out the image. He focused, trying to get his panic to cease before he concentrated on stopping the vision. On trying to make it stop, to let him wake up.

"Naru, are you ok?" Naru's eyes flashed open and he gasped in as much shock and surprise at what he had just seen. "Naru, what's wrong?" Lin's voice came urgently, making Naru's eyes focus on him until he was fully back in the present. Lin was used to things like this around Naru and he knew to be calm and patient and what questions to help him gather all of the information. "Whose murder was it?" he asked quickly, knowing the signs on Naru's face that it hadn't been a pleasant vision.

"I don't know. A girl, no… a women. She was in a library looking at books,"

"Was there anyone else there?" Lin asked and he got a nod in response. "The person there, did they kill the women?" another nod was all he got and he could sense Naru losing focus on the vision. His eyes trailed away looking dazed.

"Naru," Lin snapped, "The murderer, who was it?"

Naru's eyes refocused on Lin's as if finally coming to terms with what he'd seen. "Me, the murderer was me,"

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**I love ghost hunt and I actually hadn't been planning to write this story until I finished the three others that I'm currently writing on bleach but the pull was too strong so I wrote this first chapter. I hope you guys like it and please review to tell me what you think. Criticism is welcomed but please be nice. Next chapter is the great reunion of old friends!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh warning! I changed a detail in chapter 1 about the girl in Naru's dream. The change is in the fourth paragraph in italics and the start of the paragraph is 'a girl, no not a girl, a woman'. I would advise you to read it because even though the addition to the chapter is only two sentences one of the details in it will be really important in the story later on.**

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**Chapter 2**

Lin stood staring of at Naru in shock before covering it up quickly. "You murdered her?" His voice sounded sceptical to say the least.

"Yes, I mean no!" Naru shook his head gathering his thoughts so he could put them into coherent sentences, "I saw a spirit out of the corner of my eye heading towards me. It broke through all of my barriers and possessed me. It made me choke the girl!"

"So really it wasn't you who killed her. A spirit possessing you did," Lin said firmly before standing up and gesturing outside to the morning sun. "As much as I'd like to give you time to think about the vision we have to meet everyone in two hours time. The university is in the next town over and it'll take an hour and a half to reach it so we'd better get moving," Lin went to the chair by the computer and grabbed his coat off it, "I'll be in the van. Go and freshen up Naru and be quick about it!" Lin sounded like a parent and Naru couldn't help but think of the time Mai had been possessed by Kenji and thought Lin to be her father.

He dragged himself into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He bent over the sink and splashed water over his face before looking back into the mirror. The young woman's face started into his own, only this time he knew she was dead and her eyes stared at him accusingly. He blinked and jerked back in surprise but when he next looked the image was gone.

He sighed shaking his head before heading into his room and changing his clothes into even more black clothes. He closed his bedroom door before locking up the house and getting into the van with Lin.

***

As they closed the van door they realised that for once they were the last to arrive. Everyone else was sitting waiting for them on a bench outside the main door. At first glance it was as if nothing had changed but then he realised that they were different from his last memories of them.

Masako was taller now and her hair longer. She looked almost unrecognisable in ordinary clothes and her long black hair in a ponytail. He had heard a while back that she had had an argument with the producers of her show over her appearance and she had won. Masako was sitting next to John who no longer wore his clerical collar. It had come as a sort of a shock when to Naru and Lin when they heard he was leaving the priesthood because he had fallen in love. And as they watched him talk and laugh with Masako they knew that he had made the right decision for their relationship. Bou-san hadn't changed and he still looked as young as ever. He didn't look to be thirty at all but then Lin was thirty-two and he didn't look to be out of his early twenties. Bou-san still had the same hairstyle and wore the same type of clothes and he was still fighting with Ayako who still looked the same as well. Yasuhara had come too and he was dressed casually but still looked as smart as ever.

The first to spot both men as they crossed the drive through road was Masako and she waved at both of them while shouting out a hello. At that one announcement the whole group changed. Smiles were on everyone's faces as they began talking.

"Wow, Naru you're turning into a rebel now. Just look at the colour in your wardrobe," Bou-san joked before getting whacked over the head by Ayako who complained that his jokes weren't funny and to make them better he needed a drum kit. Looking around at the faces that were as familiar as his own he couldn't but help the small smile that flickered at the corners of his mouth. But still the reunion didn't feel complete and no one mentioned the missing person although everyone else did seem in a better mood than Naru over the matter.

"Enough of the chat. We have a job to do and you're not getting paid to be idle," Naru said, trying to get everyone focused on the task at hand but all he got in return was 'frigging narcissist slave-driver' and that comment was not welcomed. One death-glare shut them up and it was like they'd never been apart.

They entered the reception and were told to wait while the principle was alerted to their presence. In a matter of minutes they were in the principal's office. The man himself was behind a large desk that seemed to big for him. He was a small bald man with a black moustache that quivered every time he opened his mouth. As they entered the room he stood up and gestured for them to sit in the chairs in front of the desk.

"Mr. Haruno," Naru shook the hand that was held out for him, "I am Kazuya Shibuya and the president of Shibuya Physic Research. I understand that you have an ongoing problem at your university,"

"Yes," Mr. Haruno said, folding his hands nervously on the desk, "It started last year. Knocking and rapping noises. Then people complained of headaches and waking up in places they couldn't remember walking to. Students complained of marks on their throats and backs. Bruising and cuts. This was a regular occurrence at the university but only recently has it gotten worse. The amount of people claiming of waking up and having no idea how they got there has increased and," he coughed awkwardly, his gaze on Ayako and Masako before he glanced away, "There have been three cases of… well you can read it in the file. Bit awkward to say really. Anyway I had no idea what was going on until a student came up to me and said that the university was haunted. I thought the idea to be preposterous at the start and the girl mad but after another month she came back and said that Vladna needed help and that she had called in someone to investigate. That was when this man came to investigate," the principal gestured towards Bou-san, "and when he tried the exorcism, that was when I realised that we were haunted, then I requested you to come and help,"

Naru stared at the small man looking at him with desperate eyes, "First of all, I need a room to turn into a base. It'll need to be prepared quickly,"

The principal gave a small smile, "Oh don't worry we have one set up for you already with all the files and information you need," the principal chuckled a bit at Naru's surprised face.

"And how do you know that I would request a base?" he asked slightly curious. Normally his clients didn't have the sense to give him one unless he asked.

"The student who alerted me to the fact that we were haunted said that all good paranormal investigators set up a base close to the said place of haunting where they could keep all of their information and equipment," Mr Haruno smiled slightly.

"If you don't mind I'd like to meet this student of yours," Naru said stiffly.

"You'll have to wait. She's at a lecture but it should be over in ten minutes or so," the principal checked his watch, "I'll send her to you when it's over. My secretary will take you to your room now," he said dismissing them.

The team stood up and were ready to leave until Mr Haruno said something unexpected, "Mr Shibuya," he called, "The two women with you," he gestured at Ayako and Masako, "I would advise you not to leave them on their own in your base room or when they leave it,"

Naru turned back to face him, "And why would that be Mr Haruno?"

"It's in the file," the principal said tiredly before gesturing them out of the room to follow his secretary, "It's all in the file,"

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**So what did everyone think of this chapter. please review and give me your opinions. so what did the principal not want to say? The principal sorta reminds me of Naru when I think about him. Cuz he's like it's in the file and Naru is kinda obsessed with files. Well in my opinion he is! don't forget to r&r**


	3. Chapter 3

**For all those people wanting to know who the student is and the women in Naru's dreams read on!****Chapter 3**

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Vladna University was among one of the best. Any course you wanted they had it, so for these type of events to be going on would cause a media uproar which was why the director had asked SPR to solve the problem as soon as possible.

"The case doesn't seem to difficult," Ayako said as she helped to set up the equipment, "Just do a simple cleansing and that should be us finished," Ayako sighed and walked out of the room to head back to the van to pick up more equipment.

Naru was reading through one of the case files that had been left in the room for his usage. He flicked through a number of pages before flicking back again. He did a double check before swearing slightly, "John and Houshou catch up with Ayako immediately. I'll explain everything once you get back," he gestured for them to hurry impatiently. They stared at him unsurely but within seconds they raced out the door to chase after Ayako.

"Naru, what's going on?" Lin asked as he booted up his laptop but he got another impatient shake of the head as Naru gestured that he was busy reading something important. Sighing, Lin went back to his laptop and booted up the files of research that he had downloaded a few days ago.

"This is ridiculous you know. I have my rights and that includes privacy as well as no manhandling," Ayako protested as she entered the base, or more like was pushed, and pulled her arm out of Bou-san and John's arms. Shaking her head she stomped over to Naru and towered over him. Murder in her eyes. "What the hell do you think you're doing sending those two idiots to _run_ after me and practically kidnap me!" She screeched loudly but Naru waited until she had calmed down before showing her the sheets that he had been reading over.

Silence spread throughout the room as everyone watched Ayako's face turn pale and her mouth drop open slightly quivering from the shock of what she was reading. "Is this real? I mean totally reliable," Naru nodded his head and watched as Ayako passed the sheet to Masako who shared it with John as they read it together. Their heads leaning against each other as they read, each in complete comfort with the other. Both of their eyes widened at the same time and if it hadn't been for the seriousness of the situation Ayako would have laughed and teased the medium and exorcist.

"What?" Bou-san asked as two more people were filled in on what was going on.

"Do you remember that the principal told us not to leave Masako and Ayako on their own," Bou-san nodded his head as Naru began to explain what was going while Lin got passed the sheet and began to read it.

"Yeah he said that we should accompany them, that they weren't to be left on their own!" Bou-san said, thoroughly confused as to where this topic was going.

"Well, from what I can make from the sheet of paper is that the spirit has only been possessing men and making them rape and beat up women at this university. There have been three cases so far," Naru said emotionlessly while trying to hide the anger at what had been happening at the university, "So far no charges have been pressed as the women have no memory of anything and neither do the possessed men,"

"Wait," Bou-san said trying to figure everything out, "So you're saying that this spirit only possesses men, then uses him to get to these women before he wipes both the person he possessed and the victim's memories," the base player tried to comprehend the reasoning to behind this method of haunting.

An awkward silence filled the room as everyone tried to not meet each other's eyes. Everyone was finally getting to understand the full complications of this case. There was a chance that if one of the SPR were to be possessed it could ruin entire relationships all around and no one wanted that.

There was a quick quiet knock on the door and Lin shouted for them to come in as Naru turned back around properly to begin reading the file again to see if any extra information could be found

"Hi, I was told to come here after my lecture had ended by Mr Haruno," said a hesitant voice that ended up in a shriek of delight that filled the entire room.

"Bou-san, you're back. Oh my god, Masako! John! Ayako! You haven't contacted me in a few weeks," Naru paused; this hadn't been the start of the conversation that he had been expecting with this student. He turned around curiously to see who this student was and nearly froze in shock. It was her! The women from his dream. He knew that his mouth had dropped open slightly and that his cool calm collectedness had been lost completely but he didn't care at that moment. He was in a slight panic; the girl he was going to kill was in this very room. With him!

He took in her long brown hair and warm brown eyes as she hugged and kissed everyone in the room. After saying hello to the people's names she had screeched out she turned and for the first time noticed Lin in the room. "Lin, you're here too," she smiled brightly before it faded as something dawned on her, "Wait if you're here then that means…" her voice trailed off as she stared around the room searchingly and her eyes made contact with Naru's.

"Mai, it's good to see you again," Lin said as he stepped forward and gave her a brief hug but she was still in too much shock staring at Naru the Narcissist.

When the initial shock over the girl he was going to kill being in the room had hit full impact, only then did another bombshell hit home, the girl he was going to kill and was in love with was _Mai_!

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**Thanks to all the lovely people reviewing, favouriting and story alerting this story. I'm so happy but I was really annoyed earlier on at 11am this morning. Don't know what that is in American time. 5am perhaps?? Anyway I'd written this chap yesterday night and I decided to upload it this morning but Document manager wasn't working. It kept saying DM is down. Please come back in afew minutes. Well I did that and got the same message so I left it for a few hours and came back AND I GOT THE SAME MESSAGE!!! Soz this was so frustrating so I'll stop ranting. Anyway enjoy and don't forget to r&r. 4 days till I finish school and am off for summer. yippeee**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Mai stared at him and he could see the multiple emotions that raced across her face as clear as day. Anger to annoyance to happiness to just plain right confused. At least that thing hadn't changed about her appearance even if everything else had, her face was still an open book to him.

"What are you doing here?" her voice came out sullen like a fiver year olds. Naru couldn't help himself as his eyes slid down her slim frame and back up, taking in her new appearance and saving it to memory before pausing on her flat stomach and then back up to her face.

_Looks like Mai's going to be gaining some weight over the next few months_, with that thought a smirk appeared on his face and he knew immediately that letting it emerge had been a mistake.

Mai's face finally settled on pure anger and it twisted into a sneer, "You egotistical jerk!" she screamed as she nearly lunged at him, hands at the ready to throttle him.

"Mai," a calm voice came behind her and grabbed onto her hands to pull her back. Naru's eyes shifted from Mai's to the ones holding her and he immediately felt a twist in his stomach that he could only out down to jealousy.

A young man stood behind Mai holding onto both her arms as she tried to reach out and strangle Naru. He was tall with black hair and green eyes. His clothes were immaculate and casual and there was a slight smile on his face as he restrained Mai as if it was an everyday occurrence and he was used to it.

"Let go of me Kai," Mai screeched as she tried to stomp on Kai's foot so he would release her but he avoided her, laughing slightly as he did so.

"Mai, remember deep breaths and contain your anger and violence. Breathe in and breathe out," Kai's voice was calm and relaxing and within seconds Mai had calmed and had stopped pulling against him even though she still glared at her ex-boss. Naru would have almost laughed at the sight of Mai being tamed if it hadn't been for the intense jealousy in his stomach crippling him from doing or saying anything in case something happened to explode right next to the young man's face. That would get him into a whole load of trouble, and not just from Mai.

"Now Mai, don't forget to call me if you want to leave at anytime," Kai said before saying, "Oh and it was nice to see you guys again," he nodded to Bou-san, Ayako, John and Masako as he left the room closing the door behind him with a final click.

"Ah Mai, I see you've got Kai as your _escort_ around school while everything is going on around here. Are you sure he's not just a _friend?_" Bou-san said mischievously only to be whacked over the head by Mai impatiently as she walked away from the door and into the room itself.

"Yes and he's only a friend. Oh and Bou-san," she said with a sly voice, "How is your romancing coming along with _that friend_ of yours?" the smugness in her voice was clearly audible as she left the poor monk gobsmacked and flushing slightly as he tried to avoid glancing at someone in the room.

"You promised you wouldn't talk about it in front of anything else," the monk complained nervously making sure that Ayako wasn't listening in on the conversation, but unfortunately for him she was.

"Yeah, but you also promised you'd stop making jokes about Kai and me so now we're even," Mai said triumphantly with a smirk that very much resembled Naru's that it was scary as she flicked her brown hair out of her eyes.

"So when did you guys get here?" Mai asked, plonking down on a seat beside John and Masako at the table, totally comfortable in her surroundings and the people in them, well perhaps apart from one.

"Around an hour ago," Masako smiled at the girl and Naru couldn't help but wonder on when they had become friends. Last he had checked they had barely accepted each other's presence but now he was getting the feeling that they were the best of pals.

"So Mai, what's been going on here recently?" Ayako asked, plonking herself opposite Mai at the table and Bou-san sat beside her. In reality even though they both saw Mai regularly neither was totally clued into the case as Mai hadn't spoken of it until it got totally out of hand. Lin joined them and glanced back at Naru, gesturing for him to join and stop being anti-social. Naru was at best unwilling to come to the table but knowing it would be for the greater good of the case he picked up his notebook and the file and brought them over with him along with a very big scowl.

"Well… I'm sure the principal has already explained it to you," Mai glanced hesitantly at her friends before starting, "But what the principal's told you isn't all of it. Recently there's been a case of food poisoning that's left students in the hospital but no one in authority thought it odd. But in the four years I've been here there's never been anything like this. I checked with the kitchens and none of their staff had changed and their imported food was still coming from the same reliable source," Mai closed her eyes as if preparing for the next thing to say. "And everywhere… students have been seeing things," Mai broke off quickly and her hand clamped over her mouth in a panic.

"Seeing things? What kind of things?" Masako asked curiously but her friend only shook her head. Her head glanced around her as if looking for something but nothing appeared and she relaxed.

"Memories," she whispered, "Memories of memories. Spirits so old that they date back to the tenth century or further and they're so powerful. Nothing I've tried against them works. They keep coming," Mai shook her head bitterly as something entered her mind.

"What do you mean they keep coming Mai? Do they come to you specifically?" Lin asked curiously eyeing Naru out of the corner to see his reaction and sure enough he got one. Naru straightened up and his eyes actually left the folder he had been pretending to read to glance worriedly at the girl further down the table from him.

"In my dreams they keep coming to me. Telling me to leave," Mai smiled sadly at the thought of leaving, "But they never stay for long. They always rush off so he won't catch them like he did before," Mai glanced up from the table to Naru and held eye contact with him like she had tried to avoid before. Her voice changed from being calm to high-pitched, "He's so angry. I hear him yelling at night for his love to come back but she never does and his rage builds all the time," her body started to shiver and her eyes widened in fear, "He keeps saying that we'll regret leaving them,"

"Leaving who?" Masako said as she turned to face Mai speaking slowly.

"The ones our parents wished for us to marry. For some of us it wasn't even that, some just left their boyfriends and for that they were killed. I don't want to die again," a crying outburst came from Mai's mouth until Masako whispered something in her ear. The shivering and crying stopped as Mai slumped forward in her seat to the amazement of the others who hadn't even realised that she had been possessed.

"Well that's a start," Naru sighed as he stood up, "Now at least we know the main culprit is a male spirit with centuries under his belt of haunting this property," Naru stared at the girl fast asleep in her chair obviously dreaming before tutting in an exasperated tone with an exasperated tone, "And yet again my assistant falls asleep in the middle of the job," he sighed and with a roll of the eyes he walked back to his previous seat where his beloved files were placed.

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**That's just fine Naru. Go back to your files and leave Mai drooling on the table you sadistic excuse of a human being!!!**

**To _Tbonechick2011_**

_I watched all of the ghost hunt anime on youtube. But I watched them in english subbed, not dubbed. The username of the person I watched them of is called SoulkeeperPollen. This is a link to her channel www. youtube__.com/user/SoulkeeperPollen_

_Hope this helps :) (Sorry about the spacing between the www. and youtube in the address but if I didn't space it out the link sorta kept disappearing) _

**Hehehe, sorry bout the scolding that I gave Naru above. I felt that naru needed some telling off. So what'd you think? I tried writing this chapter last night around half eleven. I was in my roon with my A4 notebook and using my nintendo ds to light up the page because I was supposed to be asleep by this stage cuz I had school today and I was listening to the ghost hunt ost. By the way do you know the music is kinda creepy. Well everytime I'm stuck in the dark (I don't know if this is just me or if it happens to others) I keep seeing things. It's like blurrs of colours in different parts of my room, sometimes they're white sometimes they're orange or red. They're like blobs but sometimes their shape changes into something else. I'm being serious, right hand up to God about this I'm not joking. Well anyway I was writing a later part of this story and I kinda creeped myself out. Then I heard a door slam downstairs and I was freaking out cuz I didn't realise my brother was downstairs. It's official, I'm weird and I don't have to watch a horror/thriller movie to scare myself. LOL**

_Message to Hana: when you left the review you should have been doing your geog coursework for tomorrow. Not reviewing my story at such a crucial time. Besides what was I supposed to do? I was at my guitar lesson Hana!_

**Thanks for all the reviews this story has been receiving. 27 in four or five days, thats amazing so thanks guys, really appreciated it. So please don't forget to r&r**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"What do you mean assistant?" Mai asked in the small kitchen adjacent to the room used as a base where she was making herself some tea.

"Well assistant in the meaning of a subordinate who is meant to assist their boss and be useful," Naru explained, "I thought when you entered university to receive higher education you were supposed to get smarter but it seems to be the opposite with you," Naru taunted the girl like he used to do when they were younger and now he waited to see her reaction. He got no reply; only the cup slamming down on the counter slightly harder that it should have let him know that she was annoyed.

"Naru, I'm not your assistant. First of all, the way you just stated that I was without even asking me was enough to reject the job. Second, having to hang around with you for most of the day would be enough to drive anyone insane and I know that if I take it I'll be spending 90% of my time trying to throttle you. And finally I'm in my final year before I graduate. I need to concentrate on that! I don't have time to run around investigating at your beck and call," she took a sip of tea and soothed herself before turning to face him in the cramped kitchen which meant that they were no more that a footstep apart.

"You're not coming back to SPR?" Naru asked sceptically. He honestly hadn't expected Mai to reject the offer of her old job so he didn't have a Plan B off the top of his head.

"It's not that. I'll still be helping but only when my course allows," Mai smiled slightly at Naru's face which was in shock, or at least she thought it was. She could never really tell when it came to him.

"So you'll be helping then?" he asked casually staring down at the lemon tea she'd made for him without having to be asked to. Perhaps some habits were too old to break? At least he could hope so for now!

"Now who's stating the obvious!" she remarked seriously before laughing slightly, "But yeah I will when I can," she stared off into space.

Silence broke out between the two as each left the other to their own memories. Mai was unsure as to what had happened after she'd blacked out. She'd woken up on the couch with only Lin and Naru in the room and the last thing she remembered was telling her friends about her dreams and then she'd felt slightly… displaced. Yeah displaced was a good word to describe how she'd felt, or trapped in her own mind. She remembered that she wasn't talking of her own accord anymore and she couldn't move her body. Also she'd felt that in her body she wasn't alone. As she'd blacked out what was happening in her surroundings she had become more focused on the woman inside her.

She knew that the woman was young when she had been murdered, perhaps around her own age. But there was a sense of age to the spirit who had possessed her, as if she was centuries old. And the life that she had led. Angela May, it was a nice name too, she remarked to herself. She could still feel some of the spirits emotions that had been running through her at the time. Anger and fear towards the man who had killed her and still haunted her after her death. Worry towards the students who's deaths could happen at any time. With a jolt Mai gleaned something from the spirit. It had been Angela May and others spirits who had caused the round of food poisoning. They'd taken possession of the cooks so some students would be sent to the hospital, sent away from the university, sent away from danger.

"Mai!" the voice shook Mai out of her daze and she turned to see Lin staring at her from the doorway. She looked at him apologetically before finishing her cup of tea, washing it up and leaving it on the draining board. "Mai, come over here," the voice this time was Lin's and as she approached she saw Naru leaning over his shoulder staring at the laptop or more importantly at the photos on it. That was funny; she hadn't remembered him leaving the kitchen.

"Mai, these are the photos of the scenes where the women were… attacked. I was wondering if you could put them onto the blueprint," Lin glanced around before muttering to himself loudly. "Damn them, they took the layout with them! Why do they always do this to me?" the groan echoed through the room, and it startled Mai, who wasn't used to the Chinese man showing his frustrations or emotions.

Mai stared at him smiling as he flicked through all the papers on the desk before heading over to the door quietly, trying to make sure that she wouldn't be noticed until the last second. "Don't worry Lin. I'll be back in a second. I know for certain that there's another map in the library. I'll just go and get it for you don't freak out," with that she headed out the door quickly and clicked it behind her before either man had a chance to stop her.

"No Mai," Naru called out after her, anger and worry on his face at the same time, "Don't go the library!" Naru wasn't sure if it was the library itself or because of the vision he'd had but there was no way he would let anyone go into it on their own or even in pairs. Especially not Mai!

Without thinking straight, or even thinking at all, he rushed out of the door ignoring Lin calling him back, telling him about something. His only thoughts were Mai and how she should not go near that library, not now, not ever. He knew there was an evil aura around the place. He didn't even have to visit it to know it. As soon as his mind focused on the thought of that room it send cold shivers up his spine and that did not happen often. But when he got out of the room there was no sign of Mai anywhere and as he raced around the corridors trying to find someone to redirect him he met no one. It was if the school was against him reaching the library, or perhaps something.

The only thing in the end that alerted him to his closeness to the library was the ear-splitting scream that came from behind the large heavy oak wooden doors that had been left slightly open.

"MAI!!"

* * *

**Duh, Duh, DUH!!!!**

**Wow, I didn't think I was going to get this posted up tonight. I'd started it at five after I'd come home from school and eaten my dinner but then I started reading stories from fanfiction and the next thing I know when I look at my clock it's 9:45pm and I'm thinking Uh-Oh!!! So this chapter was slightly rushed at the end. I was going to give some descriptions of Mai's appearance but I forgot and when I went back to put it in and I couldn't find the right place to put it in so maybe next time. Well this is quick cuz I've gotta go so ciao**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

His blood pounded in his veins as he ran down the corridor. He could hear his blood pumping as he pushed himself to run faster but it was like he was in slow motion, like he wouldn't make it in time. He swore to himself, that if anything touched her he would not hesitate to kill. Not if it meant saving and protecting her.

That was when Naru felt the full depth of his feelings for Mai. He knew then that is had been such a mistake to reject Mai when she said she loved him. He had thought it was Gene who she was in love with. Back then he hadn't been willing to let his emotions out willingly. After the pain he went through with watching Gene die he had tried to close himself off from everyone, so he'd never have to worry over them or suffer pain like before. But somehow she had infiltrated his barriers and protection and taken a piece of his heart that only after he'd lost contact with her was he willing to admit her doing so. He'd regretted that moment a thousand times each day. If he hadn't been so blinded and defensive back then he could have told her he loved her as well. Things would have been different then.

"MAI!!" Naru crashed through the oak doors preparing to use his abilities to fend off whatever was attacking her.

The librarian behind the counter gave him an annoyed glance before returning to her novel. Naru glanced at her sceptically, how she could be so calm after hearing a student scream, he didn't know. Glancing quickly around the library among the rows he saw fallen books and dashed towards them quickly, praying that he wasn't too late.

"Mai," he shouted as he dashed into the aisle of books only to be met with laughter. Sitting on the floor picking up books was Mai and helping her was the man from earlier, both of whom were staring at his face and laughing. Embarrassment flooded through him but he kept his face impartial, not wanting it to turn tomato red.

"Man, the look on your face was worth her wrath," Kai crowed with laughter as he pulled Mai onto her feet before helping her put back the fallen books onto their proper shelves.

"What happened here?" Naru asked stiffly while he watched them both stifle their laughter while glancing at each other out of the corner of their eye. He hated the man beside her, he knew that now.

Finally Mai took pity on him, standing at the end of the aisle and breathing hard. He probably ran as fast as he could to get here when he heard me scream, she thought, I forgot how on investigations screams were meant for terror and not practical jokes.

"I was getting this book to get the blueprint for Lin when this jerk here," she elbowed Kai hard in the ribs causing him to jerk away from her, "decided it would be funny to scare me. I'm sorry that I put you out of your way," she said apologising formally before heading to the desk and the disapproving librarian who glared at her as she scanned the map under Mai's names.

As Mai and Naru made to leave the library Kai caught up to them and grabbed Mai turning her to face him, "You're still set for going to town tonight?" Mai nodded her head, "I'll meet you at the front door in an hour then," Kari smiled at her before walking back into the aisles leaving a smirking Mai and annoyed Naru.

I supposed that means I can't kill him now even though he laid a hand on her, he though regretfully. Walking out of the library he felt the urge to question her about Kai but instead decided on scolding her, "What do you think you were doing running off by yourself like that?" he asked annoyed as they were in the corridors.

"There's nothing wrong. I wasn't in any danger," she shook her head while narrowing her eyes at him, "If I'd been with you walking to the library there was a chance you could have been possessed by the ghost. If I went by myself the chance was reduced," Mai smiled at him and although he could understand the sense of her thinking he was still annoyed as they walking into the base but decided to ignore it. Everyone else was back after having finished unpacking the van and he couldn't help but be thankful that at least that task was over. He knew that it was around three, everyone should be getting tired by now.

"Everyone, we'll finish up for today," he said as Mai handed the blue print to Lin, "The Principal has told us to sleep in the students flats for the duration of our stay here,"

"Oh that's great," Mai chirped up, "Masako and Ayako can stay with me, Kai and Kimi in our flat,"

What! She lives with that guy? Naru thought furiously, letting this information sink in while the girls screamed with delight, "Oh and I know the rest of you can stay with my friends," she giggled, clapping her hands together excitedly before she dragged Masako and Ayako towards the door.

"Mai!" Naru said as an afterthought, "When you're heading to the front door to meet Kai make sure you take Ayako and Masako there as well so you won't be on your own," he turned away stiffly and even when the door slammed shut he didn't let his emotions show. He could hear John, Bou-san and Yasuhara whispering and he automatically zoomed in on their conversation.

"Didn't I tell you," Bou-san whispered triumphantly, "I told you they were going out but you didn't believe me,"

"Now Bou-san, just because they're meeting each other and live with each other in the same flat does not mean they're together," John inserted, sticking up for his absent friend, and Naru couldn't help but thinking that his way of thinking was much better that Bou-sans.

"John, get real!" Bou-san murmured, "You're not an innocent priest anymore. Besides she let us all meet him and she considers us to be family so that's like taking her boyfriend him which means the next step is engagement," Bou-san whispered.

Naru felt that familiar jolt in his stomach that he was beginning to get used to and was glad that his back was to the three gossiping men. The paper in his hand crunched slightly as he tried to control his anger. He opened his eyes and he knew that Lin was staring at him and could see the emotions running across his face but he didn't care right now. He also knew that Lin could hear every single word being said across the room, probably knew how he felt as each word had been said and also knew what was going on in his head.

"You're over thinking it," John murmured back, "It's not uncommon for students to live with their friends, whether male or female because it means that the rent is split and they have to be pay less towards it," John's comment made sense and the fact that there was also another house mate give Naru some hope that perhaps this was true.

"John does have a point," Yasuhara conceded, "But has anyone noticed how a certain someone has reacted around Mai and Kai," Naru immediately knew that all three had turned to stare at him and he couldn't help but feel a slight annoyance.

"Yep, you have a point there," Bou-san smirked, "It's like he's been sulking ever since he found out. Hmm, perhaps Naru's j-e-a-l-o-u-s!" the three guffawed at the idea and Naru decided that it was time to put an end to the conversation.

"If the only thing you have to do is sit around and gossip," Naru put on one of his most chilling glares and he knew from their pale faces that it was having the desired effect, "Then I'm sure I can find you something to do," the menace was clear and the room dropped a few temperatures as the men practically ran out of the room, fleeing for their lives.

"You shouldn't take your anger out on them," Lin scolded not glancing up from his laptop.

"I was not taking out my anger," Naru felt like a petulant child being told off by a parent but he was determined to stay strong, not to break as Lin turned those calculating eyes at him.

Don't break Naru, don't break, he repeated again and again as his mantra.

But he couldn't help himself, the need to know was just too strong.

"Lin, you don't think that they're actually going out do you?" it was out of his mouth before he could stop it, and this time Lin couldn't hide his smirk as he saw the love smitten look on Naru's face.

* * *

**Naru's got a crush on someone!! LOL**

**Anyway sorry about yesterdays chapter being short and ending on a cliffhanger. I'll tell you one thing, that cliffhanger put me in a spot of bother because I had two ideas for this chapter both of which were relevant. the major one would have driven the story further ahead than the other and I had no idea which to choose until Hana gave me some very good advice. Don't do anything major to early in the story and seeing as in the story its only their first day at the school I took her advice and chose the less major but still relevant chapter as Naru finally stops fighting against his feelings for Mai, but I can't help but think is it too late? Well tell me what you think! And if you like Kai or not?**

**Omg, so embarrassing. It was second last class of the day and I was in english when my chem teacher came in and asked for me. He asked me had I lost anything and I was like I don't think so. It had actually turned out that I'd lost my usb pen (newly bought after my i pod went and got corrupted) and he'd flicked through my folders and files to find out who it had belonged to. It was so embarrassing because I had all of my fanfictions and my own stories saved on it and I have the sneaking suspision he may have looked at them. And all my anime pictures and music was on it. So if he's looked through them its gonna be embarrassing!!!!**

**Oh and Emina105 we should definitely make up a club or group called Weird-People-Who-See-Thingys-Flying-In-The-Air people. That would be one freaky but klass group. LOL xD**

Oh and 1 day left of school cuz I'm taking tomorrow off because its sports day which is normally so boring!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_: I don't understand_

_: You're in danger_

_: I can cope, I have before_

_: This time is different, this time you're more involved than you think_

_: What's that supposed to mean? _

_: It means that this time you might not make it out alive_

Mai jolted awake with a scream which she quickly muffled with her hand but she was scared and she couldn't deny it. The dream had been a bad one. First she had seen the deaths of five girls' years ago at this university only each time it had been from the girls' perspectives. She had repeatedly died over and over again until Gene pulled her out of those scenes. She had missed the more compassionate twin. He smiled at her as if he cared for her unlike... Naru. He had told her to leave the university. But she couldn't, she was in her final year and then she could graduate as a Religion History Teacher, teaching students about the many old religions that were no longer worshipped.

"Hey are you ok Mai?" the voice was soft as Kai walked into her room and flicked on the light sitting on her nightstand. Mai stared at him before small restrained tears broke out. Kai stared at the girl in front of him before pulling her into his arms protectively, letting her feel safe. He cradled her until her breathing slowed down and he knew she was asleep. He laid her back onto the bed and put the quilt over her before walking back into the hallway.

"Is she alright?" the quiet feminine voice came from the door opposite Mai's room as Kimi poked her head out into the corridor. Her black hair falling lose from her plaits and the blue highlights obviously visible.

"Yeah, it was just another nightmare but she's asleep again," Kai smiled reassuringly knowing that Kimi would worry over her friend if she thought something was wrong.

"Her nightmares are increasing each night. Something's going on and then Mai's old workmates from SR show up saying they have a case here and then all those incidents with," Kimi was about to continue when she heard footsteps approaching and sure enough Masako and Ayako came around the corner in their pyjamas but stopped short when they saw Kai standing in the doorway of Mai's room talking to Kimi opposite.

"Is everything ok?" Ayako asked sleepily, "We thought we heard Mai scream,"

"Yeah she had a nightmare but I've made sure she's asleep so there's nothing more to worry about," Kai said goodnight to the girls before heading back to his room down the corridor. Somehow he couldn't shake off that feeling that something bad was about to happen. Something very bad!

***

An unsettling atmosphere had settled over the university as lectures took place throughout the classes. The rain battered against the windows and the wind caused the trees to batter against the panes of glass. No one liked the feel of the university at the moment. The whole building seemed to creak with age and everyone had the feeling that they were being watched. Thunder echoed everywhere and the odd flicker of lightening lit up the light filled room.

Masako sat in the base with John watching the many spirits appear and disappear through walls. All female, all young women. Although she would never admit it, they scared her. All of the women would have looked normal if it hadn't been for their blood soaked clothing and visible wounds on some of them. Some of the clothes looked as if they were from a different era completely and some seemed to be in fashion a couple of years ago.

"How many of them are there?" Naru asked dejectedly as Mai brought him another cup of tea with lemon in it. He had been asking for tea all day so far. He had been on tea withdrawal for five years so he was making up for it now. Plus he had a headache and he found that tea helped soothe him.

"Too many to count," Masako whispered as she eyed another spirit approaching her before turning and going back out of the room, "They're everywhere. They keep coming in and then going back out again, they're always searching when they come in for the first time,"

"There's nothing to be afraid of Masako," Mai smiled at the girl as she handed her a cup of tea to calm her nerves, "They don't mean anyone any harm otherwise we'd all be dead by now," the smile reassured Masako. She knew Mai was right; there was nothing to be afraid of! Nothing to be afraid of!

"Mai has this happened often?" Naru asked, wondering over the girl's calmness to the situation when everyone else was slightly nervous. The room temperature was slightly low and Mai had obviously been prepared for it, wearing a warm sweater with a skirt and thick tights.

"It happens sometimes," Mai stared thoughtfully out of the window, "when the spirits get worried. Every time a day like this happens, there's always another attack," That final sentence put everyone into depression. It had been a week since they had arrived here and no clues could be found. There were no files dating back to before the university had been rebuilt on the grounds after the fire had burnt down the old building.

But even this made no sense. If the old building had been burnt down then surely whatever had been holding the spirits back must have been destroyed so they should have passed on but they were still here and there number was increasing. It wouldn't be long until the first death occurred and they were no were near being close enough to stop something like that from happening.

Bou-san was bored and sitting around in a cold room filled with spirits of murdered girls was not his idea of entertaining, so who could he make fun of. Scanning the room, the ideal target as always was Mai.

"So Mai," he called out catching the girl's attention and making her sit down on the couch between him and Masako with everyone else, "What's with the blue highlights in your hair, they weren't there a couple of weeks ago!" he asked the question which had been bothering him for a while as he stared at the blue highlights in her long brown hair.

Mai smiled slightly at the thought of how her new hairstyle had been arranged, "Kimi dragged me to the hairdressers and made us get our hair done, and of course she told my hairdresser to dye my hair blue without telling me. Sadly it's permanent and I don't want to dye over it to damage my hair even further so I'll just have to wait until it grows out,"

Thunder sounded overhead making Ayako and John jump which caused Bou-san to laugh half-heartedly but when the electricity went out the laugh faded. They heard Naru telling them to stay where they where while he went and flicked the light switch on and off again but the power didn't come back on again.

Mai for the first time that day felt panic take over. The ghosts of the girls hadn't scared her but now she could sense it wasn't just them here and the girl's spirits had fled the room. She nudged Masako beside her before whispering into her ear, "Can you feel that?" Mai got a shake of a head from the gloom which she had barely been able to make out. Perhaps she was just imagining it! If Masako couldn't sense it and she was the medium of the group then there was no way that _he_ was here.

She got off of the settee and headed over to her bag for her phone and she could hear the others moving around now as well on the opposite side of the room. Her bag was on the table just below a mirror and as she opened the zip she couldn't help but feel that someone was behind her. She looked up into the mirror. Even though it was pitch black she could still make out the ghostly soul behind her. It wasn't a young woman this time. When did she ever have the luck for it to be an innocent spirit behind her?

The man smiled at her and she felt herself lose all control of her body as they initiated eye contact. He raised his left arm and hers responded in turn making every move that he did. He came closer to her and in her mind she let out a whimper as she felt the coldness take over.

***

"Well that's a relief!" Bou-san said as the lights flickered back on. The rain had gotten heavier if that was even possible and lightening forked in the sky. Everyone sighed with relief, especially Masako when she realised that all the ghosts were gone.

"Mai, make some more tea," Naru ordered as he read over the notes he had made on the course so far. "Mai, I said tea," Naru yelled after getting no response for a few minutes and not hearing the kettle boiling. "Mai?" Now he wasn't the only one noting the girl's missing presence in the room as everyone began to look for her.

"Her bags missing!" John pointed to the table where it had been, "Wait there's something red on the mirror!"

Everyone rushed over without a moment's hesitation as they read in horror what was written on the reflection.

Leave now!! I shall make the girl mine and we will be together for all eternity. I cannot be stopped! Leave or I will kill the girl.

"NARU!" Lin snapped the black haired man out of shock, "What do we do?" Even the normally calm Chinese man looked panicky.

Naru came back to his senses after the first moments of panic and his years of experience allowed him to overrule his frantic heart.

"Masako, John, go to the ground floor and check everywhere there. Ayako, Bou-san, check the second and third floors, I'll take the first. Lin stay here and ring us if you see anything in the cameras. Where's Yasuhara?,"

"He's in one of the computer suites researching the university," Ayako murmured and even before Naru could compose his sentence everyone was out of the room.

Naru followed them out the door puzzling over what had been written on the mirror. If the ghost wanted Mai for all eternity then surely he'd have to kill Mai anyway. But why tell them he wouldn't kill her if they left the university. It made no sense. And what about the part, I shall make the girl mine. What was that supposed to mean? Growling with frustration, Naru went through all the notes on the case that he'd made so far and only one thing came into mind.

It had been just after Ayako had left to get more equipment out of the van when he had read it. _Three attacks have taken place on female students. They were found beaten up and raped with no memory of the incident._

It made sense now but for once figuring out what the ghost meant did not make Naru feel smug, but very, very scared for his ex-assistant.

* * *

**Hmm, a lot of you seem to be really against me pairing Kai and Mai together. But I think they'd be so cute. I mean just look at their names you just have to switch the k to m or vice-versa and their names are identical. How about I do this... I'll bring in another character just for Naru so I can pair him up and keep Kai and Mai together. (HEHEHE, now you don't know whether I'm being serious or not about the pairings).** _I'll say this to you all in warning, there is an engagement coming up!_** That's all I'm going to say about the matter. LOL Hmm, perhaps I shouldn't tease you about the pairings, some of you seemed pretty serious about the matter, especially you FallenRaindrops who stated that you'd punch someone if there's too much Kai. For all I know someone could put a death curse on me and I'll kick the bucket but FOREWARNING: if someone does do that, this story will never be finished and you won't know how it'll end up. So please don't curse me.**

**Tomorrows the last day of school. Yippee. Oh, tomorrows update may be late depending. I'm going down town after school tomorrow with my friends to see Transformers 2 (it's going to be awesome) and then I may have gymnastics if its on so if that happens it'll be updated around 10pm or on saturday. Thanks and don't forget to r&r**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Blood pounded in his ears as he did a systematic search of the classrooms on the third floor. Each classroom had the same layout of rows upon rows of desks which meant that they had to actually go into the classroom to check the rows before they could determine if she was there or not.

"She's not here," Bou-san called out to Ayako as he closed the door behind him and ran down to the next classroom, already out of breath from the amount of running he'd been doing.

"Or here," Ayako called back as they worked their way down the corridor before finishing it completely and there was still no sign of their missing friend who was like a sister to both of them.

Mai, come on, you've gotta to be somewhere. Let us find you, come on, Bou-san thought over and over as they cleared the next corridor and then the final one. Without hesitation they raced down the stairway to the ground floor to check on Masako and John. Naru could take care of himself and was powerful enough to take on the evil spirit if it came down to it but for the rest of them, even in pairs they were sitting ducks.

"Bou-san," the faint voice beside him made the monk stop running to face the Miko but she didn't wait, instead she ran on ahead not stopping, even when she noticed he's stopped. She preferred to scream at him instead.

"What do you think you're doing, stopping like that? We have to find Mai. We don't have time to stop and rest!"

The Miko tore on leaving the bewildered monk to follow. That's funny, he thought, I thought I heard someone call my name and it sounded like Mai, but the thought was halted in mid wave as they finally found Hara-san and John in the last hallway.

The couple looked panicked as they searched for the missing Mai who was nowhere to be found. The medium and ex-priest obviously hadn't had much luck either and with every floor but the first completely checked they moved to catch up with Lin and see if Naru had discovered anything.

Bou-san slowed so he could speak with the out of breath medium, "Have you sensed anything since Mai's disappearance?"

The medium thought over the last half hour since Mai had disappeared. The only thing that she had noticed was the lack of spirits around this place. All of the murdered girl's spirits had disappeared and not a single one was in sight. Masako was sure this had to do something with Mai, but she was unsure how!

She groaned with frustration and weariness as she used her brains to try and come to a conclusion. If the ghosts had disappeared, there must have been a reason for it. And Masako was sure it had to do something with Mai and the writing on the mirror. Masako knew that the girls' were scared of something; perhaps whatever had murdered them was still about. If that was the case then they were sure to have fled when their murderer came around which meant that this evil spirit had taken Mai. But why chose Mai? There were many other female students throughout the University and not all had the help of SPR. So why chose the more difficult target.

"Because he wants to prove that no one's safe. That anyone can be taken, at anytime and with anyone," Bou-san said out loud after hearing Masako's musings. Sure enough, that would be a very good reason, but somehow it didn't seem to fit properly.

"Lin! We've checked the floors and she's not there," Ayako yelled as soon as she opened the doors. The Chinese man barely acknowledged her while he typed even more quickly on his laptop, pulling up documents from the internet and hidden files he'd accessed from the University's main database.

"Well, we have a problem," Lin said as he gestured for them to come and see what was on this screen.

He scrolled along pieces of information that were not relevant before pausing on an old photograph.

"Yasuhara found this in the town library's historical section," Lin said bringing up an old black and white photograph of a family outside a large house. There was a middle-aged man and women with a young lady, their daughter, around twenty-one years old. There were three others. Two were boys, no more than thirteen and the other was also around twenty-one and was looked adoringly at the young lady. But this was not what Lin pointed out. Instead in one of the far windows of the mansion there was a white blotch in the middle of the dark rooms. Lin quickly zoomed in on it to reveal the face of a disfigure man. The left side of his face was shriveled and his nose hooked. His right eye was clamped shut as he stared at the family.

"This photo shows the Yammamoto family who lived here around a hundred years ago. According to the records only six people lived in the house. The parents, their three children and their daughter's husband to be. There were never any records of another man living there and from the photo and the transparency of the disfigured man we can safely assume that he is a spirit," Lin took a deep breath before continuing, "The daughter was found to be cheating on her fiancé with their gardener and when she was asked if she wished to continue on with the marriage she rejected the proposal. The fiancé left the house and within days the daughter was found murdered,"

"You mean to say that this ghost killed the daughter," Ayako whispered, "Because she was cheating on her future husband?"

Lin shook his head, "Nope, that's not the case. There have been other cases like this were cheating was going on and what seems s to be causing the murders is rejecting a proposal from perhaps someone romantically interested or involved with the said girl,"

"So what has Mai rejected to be kidnapped?" John asked thoughtfully and it was then that Lin realized something that could have possibly caused this kidnapping.

"Naru offered her, her assistant job back and she rejected it," he thought it over.

"But that's crazy!" Bou-san yelled without meaning to, "She only rejected a job, not a romantic proposa…" The monk's voice died of as he realized what Lin was getting at.

"Wait a second, so you're saying that when Naru offered her to come back and work for him he was actually offering for her to come back and go out with him?" Masako asked confused.

"No, well I don't think that was Naru's intention when he asked her. But the spirit might have picked up what he was saying wrong and thought that the rejection was her declining to be with him and that's why it took Mai,"

Silence spread through the room as everyone thought of the possibilities of having a psychotic spirit on the rampage doing and interpreting what it pleased.

* * *

**I think I confused myself writing this chapter. LOL. So if I'm confusd, how are you guys fairing?**

**Due to some very weird stalkerish reviews that I've been getting about people saying that they'll track down my house and ... kill me (LOL, NOT), You Know Who You Are! all I have to say is why the hell would you fly half way around the world to stalk or kill me (OJOJ). For all you know I could be some sort of old weirdo perverted freak, well not old cuz that would imply I have wrinkles which I don't cuz when I'm older I'll use anti-wrinkle cream cuz that crap actually works, not!**

**SO... after that weird statement above, don't forget to r&r and this chapter is not filler. I would have to have inserted this info about the ghost sooner or later, and sooner was better than later this time. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

He fought against the blackness with all his might, but no matter how much he struggled unconsciousness took him.

After he had checked the third floor he had felt the urge to check the library. Perhaps because it was of the false alert from last time but he still felt that it was unsafe and that Mai could be there.

As he'd raced along the corridors to the library, along the route that he had memorised in case he's ever needed to get to the book filled room, he felt rather than saw the spirits of the murdered girls. They were warning him, telling him to hurry before the unthinkable could happen.

He wished then that he was more athletic like Gene had been, at least that way he would be able to reach Mai faster. But he had been the more academic twin. He rushed up the final corridor and paused outside the two large doors that led to the library dreading what he was about to see. He knew that he had to go through and braced himself for what he was about to see.

The room gave off a feeling of dark evil, so much so that it actually made Naru feel sick. As he tried to hold down the food in his stomach he walked into the library cautiously, making sure that he wouldn't be taken off guard.

Everything seemed evil about the room. The shelves seemed to cast shadows that formed into wicked shapes of seething darkness. The moonlight shone through the glass dome of a ceiling and left everything with an eerie light to it, making things there that weren't.

Through these conditions Naru saw Mai unconscious in the corner of the library with someone standing over her. He didn't think then, he just reacted. It was a primal instinct and one that he couldn't control even if he wanted. Protect her at all costs.

Even though he had never played the sport Naru did a rugby tackle that would have made any sportsman proud as he pushed the man who must have been a student away.

The student's eyes were pitch black and dulled, he was obviously possessed. It was only this fact that stopped Naru from using his abilities. To do that would be to harm the man even if it wasn't his fault.

The student grinned up at him manically before an unseen force sent Naru flying into a wall. He crumpled to the floor with pain flooding through his body. It was like the time that his mother had gotten an appointment for him to be treated with acupuncture. Only this time the needles were a lot more painful. A hiss escaped his mouth before he could stop it and he stood unsteadily on his feet.

Before he could even think the man sent him flying again with a flick of his hand into a bookcase. Yet again he crumpled to the floor only this time he had companions with him as large heavy books toppled down upon him. A few clipped his shoulders and back but a large tome of Ancient Greek History landed on his head and caused him to collapse on the pile of books.

_I've gotta do something but what?_ Naru thought desperately but for once he was out of ideas. _Great! The one time I need help, my intellect deserts me!_ His scowl was prominent to see and the spirit laughed at him as it approached.

"You honestly think that you can save her? How do you know if she even wants to be saved?" the maniacal grin turned malicious and Naru knew for certain that this was the spirit from his vision. This was the spirit that had the power to break through his barriers to possess him. This was the spirit that would make him kill Mai!

Pure anger exploded within him and the spirit couldn't help but notice the bookshelves that began rattling and as a few books began to rise up into the air before the furious boy. A sneer flickered across his face as he saw the boy struggle to stay conscious as he took a footstep and then another.

Judging from the cut on his forehead and the blood pouring from it he would be out in three…two…one. The black haired boy gave a final grunt before he fell to his knees. The student laughed at the expression on his face of disbelief before he fell head first to the floor out cold.

He snorted, he'd actually thought that the boy would have been fun to play with, but he proved to be not much better than anyone else who had ever tried to play the handsome rescuing prince to their damsel in distress.

Well, he thought, she's not really in distress is she? Lying there on the floor so invitingly. Really it's not my fault if she's lying there tempting me.

He licked his lips, an old habit that he'd never got rid throughout the years. The malicious smile appeared on his face as he acted out the plan he had been preparing for the last week.

It took a few seconds but he approached the girl.

***

"Guys, there's something going on in the library!" Lin alerted everyone to the fact as the monitor started to beep over the large decrease in temperature, at least a 20'C drop.

"Wait, the library's on the floor that Naru's on right?" Masako whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"Yeah, I've rewind the tapes back and Naru entered the library five minutes ago, after that the temperature dramatically fell and Naru's not answering his phone. Masako stay here and man the cameras," Lin said as he gestured for everyone else to leave the room and follow him.

John hugged his fiancée reassuringly and left through the door, leaving behind a worrying girl who didn't notice the shape forming behind her.

***

It was too cold, Mai thought, and she ached all over. She knew she was in the library, she'd been tossed into enough shelves to realise that as the books had cascaded around her. But now it was dark and she was unsure if what was going on.

She opened her eyes slowly, unsure of what she was about to see. What she did see, had her screaming the moment her eyes met its. She stared into Jiro Wakeshima's eyes but it wasn't him. Not the kind new transfer student she had become friends with over the last year. The smile wasn't his either, it was malicious and cutting. It was like in that one glance and smirk it had ripped to shreds her barriers and protections so he could stare into her very soul. And it scared her.

Her scream was cut short as he placed his hand over her mouth and a whimper escaped as she realised what was going to happen. It was the same as what had happened to the other three girls.

His smile grew wider and she shook with fear as she saw a black figure out of the corner of her eye crumpled on the floor. Naru, what happened to you? Mai stared at the boy she had believed was close enough to invincible. She saw the blood pool out from his head wound and saw the helplessness in his eyes as he stared back at her unable to do anything at all.

Jiro's eyes followed hers to the site of her distress and his smirk grew wider. "Oh, I see. You want to die beside your boyfriend. Well that can be arranged," he gripped her by her throat and pulled her to her feet, not caring that her airway was being blocked off or that she wasn't breathing anymore. He dragged the struggling girl over to Naru and he could only watch in fear as her fighting grew weaker and weaker.

Until it stopped completely.

* * *

**Sorry that I've taken a while to update the story but my gran died and I haven't been in the mood to write cuz I was in the house on my own and it was creeping me out writing this story. Also the laptop I normally prefer to type on isn't here at the moment so this chapter isn't the best I could have written but you guys will just have to deal with it cuz I'm not in the mood to deal with complaints right now and your lucky that I even posted this chap. Sorry if Im coming across as being moody or whatever and don't forget to r&r**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

With a grunt Jiro released Mai's throat before she was totally deprived of oxygen, wishing that he could have held on a little longer without killing her. Mai fell on her back beside Naru who stared at her helplessly.

When he'd collapsed unconscious he had fought against the darkness trying to go back to the light and awareness, only to find that the spirit had tossed him into another shelf. Only this time instead of falling on them, the books had fallen on him rendering him useless to help Mai. He could barely stay conscious and right now he wished he wasn't as he watched the possessed student move towards her.

He wasn't used to this feeling of helplessness, that wasn't his job. It was Mai's. He was supposed to have all the answers, solve the problems. He'd never really felt the need to rely on his team members apart from Lin but now he needed them and now he realised his foolishness, now that it was too late. If he hadn't been so full of himself and thought he could handle anything thrown at him he wouldn't be in this position. His foolishness was despicable!

He struggled from underneath the load of books piled on his legs. He didn't have the concentration or focus to use his PK abilities. The student grew ever closer.

"Jiro, listen to me," Mai's voice wavered slightly as she backed away from her friend, "You don't want to do this Jiro. I'm your friend and friends don't hurt friends!" Mai froze but not from shock. That unseen force was covering her, smothering her, preventing her from moving away or pleading. Jiro leered as he towered over her, unbuckling his belt but his body convulsed before her could hitch up Mai's skirt.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not," John's exorcist voice called out as the library doors swung open. The force restraining Mai let her go and she jolted away from Jiro as he cried out before collapsing.

"Mai, are you alright?" Bou-san shouted as he ran towards her at the same time that Lin called out Naru's name and began to toss the books off him. John went to help him, deciding it was best to leave the shocked girl in Ayako's and Bou-san's parental care. They were the best equipped to deal with her, being like family.

"Did he hurt you?" Ayako questioned as she examined Mai's cuts and bruises from where she had been battered.

"No, he knocked me around first of and all and then the next thing I know Naru was here but I couldn't think straight because I had whacked my head off one of the shelves and I felt a sharp pain there and fainted cuz the next thing I know Naru was collapsed and Jiro was walking towards me," the girl flinched slightly as Bou-san took her hand comfortingly and puller her into a hug, "He choked me," Mai lifted her free hand to her throat as she felt the tender skin, "Jiro choked me!" she looked shocked as she stated that fact, "He nearly rap…" she shook her head determinately trying to be positive, "But he didn't!"

She finally broke down and cried into Bou-san's chest as she realised how close it had been while Ayako moved to check Naru's injuries once he had been fully uncovered and placed into a sitting position against one of the standing bookcases.

The wound on his head wasn't dangerous and was quite shallow, but head wounds did tend to bleed a lot so it would have to be bandaged. His left arm was sprained and his legs badly broken but not broken thankfully. That would have worsened his mood and a grumpy Naru was not a good thing. Apart from a small amount of pain and a wounded pride, Naru was going to be fine. With a few plasters and bandages, he would be as good as new providing he got his tea.

Between them, John and Lin hauled him up to his feet and helped him walk to the library doors as Bou-san carried a passed out and weary Mai. Tear tracks were clear on her face where her mascara had smudged and her eyes were swollen and red with lovely panda eyes.

Everyone was silent as they realised how close they had been to losing Mai to this twisted spirit. Not even Naru had been of much use but to slow it down while trying not to hurt the student who had been brought to the infirmary by the nurse.

They entered the office wearily to see Masako sitting on one of the two couches staring impassively at them. They lay Mai down on the opposite couch and got a checked woollen blanket to keep her warm before helping Naru over to a chair by his desk. Ayako grabbed her bag and took out her first aid kit before Masako spoke.

"So you saved the girl?" Masako stated as she watched Mai sleeping across from her seriously before shock hit her eyes and then a slow smile spread across her face filled with amusement.

"Masako?" John stared unsurely at his girlfriend but he stopped the rest of his sentence as her eyes turned to him, cold and calculating while the smile left her face to be replaced with a frown.

"She's possessed John," Naru said, for once stating the obvious to the group. He winced as Ayako wrapped a bandage tightly around his head and nearly groaned when he saw her glint of satisfaction and heard Bou-san's muffled slightly hysterical laughter. Ignoring them he concentrated on Masako, rather than turn his attention to the two fools.

"What do you want?" Naru asked the possessed Masako who turned to him with the same smile on her face that she had stared at Mai at, only it was slightly more mocking.

"I came here to give you a warning," she said proudly, "The child in front of me has not fully left the hands of danger but Masato is weaker from the exorcism. It will be a full month before he will be able to do anything around here again," the voice coming out of Masako's mouth was full of wisdom and expertise.

"Why are you helping us?" Naru asked suspiciously. This could be a trick to make them relax their guard.

"It is in my best interests to help you. I've told you that you can have a rest for one month so you can heal up. After that I expect you to free the spirits here and purify Masato for me. I don't want his spirit destroyed," the voice came out warning and strong.

Naru considered it for a second before continuing, "We'll help on condition that you help us when we need it," he felt pleased with himself.

"Fine, but only when you need it," the voice came out warm and the smile on Masako's face was genuine, "The first thing to help you I think is that the spirit who has been attacking the girls name is Masato Sato. That will help and my name is Mitsuko," with one final smile the spirit departed and Masako's body tipped forward before John caught her and laid her on the couch.

Naru wasted no time while Ayako finished patching him up, "Lin, I want you to find out anything you can about Masato Sato, and I don't care how far you have to go back!"

Lin stared at the young man's serious expression before turning back to his laptop and typed into the search engine the name Masato Sato.

* * *

**Hey guys, it has been one pretty ... interesting week. First of all before I forget Masato means justice and Mitsuko if I remember properly means child of light which if my plot line stays the same will be completely fitting. Oh forewarning (I seem to do a lot of warnings on my fics) this saturday I will be going on holiday to Cornwall for a week so unless I get a hold of a computer (highly unlikely) no more updates until then. So please everybody review so I can go on holiday happy. Plz plz plz.**

**Been pretty chaotic for me. I lost my handbag in Newry which had my purse with my bus pass in it, my ipod and my nintendo ds with pokemon platnium in it. I thought I lost it permanently and only got it back today. I spent the whole weekend without my ipod. It was pure hell since I can't do anything without music. Then after having my bag returned to me this morning, this afternoon I lost my mobile!!!!! I went to check my bag and it wasn't there!! Rang home with my friends phone, it wasn't there. When I got back to the car a couple of hours later and opened the door it was sitting just ready to fall out. I swear to GOD, something is out to get me but hopfully my luck is balancing it out. **

**Well, signing out now and I'll hopefully update once more before me hol if you guys are nice and review. :p**

**ojoj. ciao**

**oh and thanks to alerting me to change psp to pk. oops**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Gene is that you?" Mai stared at the familiar face before her as he smiled gently at her.

"Mai, you're still in danger!" Gene said bluntly, quickly getting to the heart of the matter, "You have a month rest period but after that it will be chaotic,"

Mai stared at him before smiling gently and she sat down beside him on the grassy hill of her dreams.

"You ok?" he asked gently as he draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him, letting her head rest against his shoulder. She sighed contently and nodded her head slightly.

"You know you're still the same Mai that I first met. Sure you hair's changed and your style. You've gotten taller and lost some baby fat," he got an elbow in ribs for the last part, "but you're still you and you always will be," Gene stared down at her softly, at the only other person he cared as much for as his brother.

"Who else would I be?" she giggled staring up at him, "You know sometimes I wish I could stay here where it's peaceful," she murmured staring at the stars shining brightfully down at her from the sky.

"Never say that Mai, to stay here would mean your death," he shook her slightly but she smiled at him instead.

"I know that!" her smile faded and turned serious, "But sometimes I can't help but want to stay here. It's peaceful and I could rest here. Besides you're here as well so I'll never be alone!" she commented and he turned to gaze down at her face inches away from hers slightly startled.

He couldn't help it as he moved towards her and kissed her lightly before pulling back wondering what had come over him. Mai looked surprised and her hand flew up to her lips in surprise before she stared at him, confused slightly and his heart twisted.

"I'm sorry Mai, but I'm not the one meant for you and saying things like that is tempting fate. We were never meant to be together," he sighed and stared up at the sky but kept his arm around her and she didn't mind.

"I know but sometimes I just want to be here with you. He doesn't seem to notice I exist unless I'm in trouble and he's never reciprocated my feelings. I've tried moving on but it's not working," her voice broke near the end of her sentence and drops of shining tears fell down her cheeks.

"He loves you Mai," saying those sentences broke his heart but he loved her and she needed to be told, "And he knows it. He just doesn't know how to express it," Gene smiled slightly at Naru's stupid awkwardness which stemmed from his anti-social behaviour, "He's afraid of these feelings. Scared that he'll feel the same pain he did when I died. But I want you to give this to him," Gene let Mai go and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt to reveal a thin gold chained necklace. He took it off and placed it in her hand before closing her fingers over it.

She stared at the strange expression on his face as he handed it to her. She slowly opened her hand and sure enough the gold chain was there but the other piece of jewellery startled her. A small gold band lay in her hand and the chain had obviously been passed through it so Gene could carry it around with him. The gold band was finely made and set in it were three stones. The two outside stones were diamond and the middle was slightly larger with a sapphire in it. The ring was old and not from a jewellery shop.

"This was the engagement ring my grandmother gave to my mother before she died. Naru has the one our father's mother gave to our dad. Father received it at the same time mum received hers and father proposed with both of them," Mai stared at the ring in her hand which obviously had so much sentimental value, "Our mother, Luella, each gave myself and Naru one of her engagement rings so if we ever met someone on our journeys we wouldn't be stuck for a ring. Obviously I can't use it now so I'd like you to give it to Naru since it wasn't on my body when I was found,"

"Give it to Naru," Mai muttered to herself determinately as she closed her eyes when she felt the pull of her consciousness dragging her back to the real world, hearing only the last sentence that Gene said.

***

The room she was in when she woke up was quiet and she felt safe even after her previous ordeal. She felt no pain from her injuries but she supposed that that was thanks to Ayako.

She was lying on a sofa and a lavender smelling blanket covered half her body to keep her warm. She sensed rather than saw someone sitting beside her and knew that there was no one else here. Waking up all the time in her previous jobs had made her realise that she unconsciously made a face every time she woke up and she had perfected it so she could do it at will.

She felt a hand holding onto hers and she knew, just knew, that it was Naru. She was aware that if she opened her eyes suddenly he'd push her away again and he'd be back to his cold narcissistic self so she decided to let him think that she was only just waking up.

She frowned slightly and her mouth scrunched up to the side before her face returned to normal. She waited for seven seconds before she tightened her eyes as if trying to go back to sleep and let a sigh escape her mouth as if giving in. Just before her eyes opened he removed his hand from hers and her heart wept silently but she didn't let it show on her face.

She looked around her and knew immediately that she was in the vase, and she had been right, she was on the sofa and they were alone. Her eyes finally fell onto Naru who stared at her calmly behind emotionless eyes. She noticed that he'd dragged a chair to sit beside her and a small smile lit her face.

"Naru, what time is it?" Her voice came out unintentionally drowsy and she couldn't help but let the back of her hand rub at her eye to get rid of the 'sleeping sand'.

"Around ten o' clock," he replied back only to be interrupted by a small giggle.

She smiled at his questioning gaze before lifting her hand to touch the bandage encasing Naru's head and sticking out like a sore thumb. "You should wear non-black colours more often," she murmured and she could have sworn she saw a slight melt in his eyes as he gazed down at her.

She moved on the sofa slightly and felt something press in her hand and her dream came back to her. She groaned clutching her head slightly as the images flooded into her mind while she pushed herself up into a cross-legged position facing Naru.

"I talked to Gene in my dream," Damn, Mai thought, his guard went back up, "He said that we had a recuperation month where the spirit wouldn't be harming anyone,"

"Knew that already," Naru had a sly smirk on his face that immediately had her blood pressure rising, "Any useful information?"

"Well Gene asked me to give this to you since he said he wouldn't need it," Mai's smile faded slightly as she held out her hand. Naru opened his hand and placed it under hers as her fingers slid open, letting the gold necklace and ring fall into his palm. His eyes left hers slowly and they followed the path down to his hand.

"Gene gave you this?" he choked out at her.

"He wanted you to have it," she smiled slightly before remembering what Gene had said to her just before she woke up, "He said you would know who to give it to,"

Naru never let her break away from his gaze as he leaned towards her until their faces were level, centimetres away from each other.

"Gene knew me to well!" his breath smelt of mints and something else as he closed the gap between them further, "I only know one person I've ever thought of marrying over the last few years," Mai's eyes widened as Naru stole a quick kiss from her before continuing with his sentence,

"Mai, will you marry-"

His sentence was cut off as the base door slammed open and Naru quickly sat back in his seat as if nothing had happened leaving Mai's wildly beating heart shocked.

"Mai are you ok?" Kai and Kimi rushed into the room out of breath. Kai's eyes narrowed as he saw Naru's impassive face and Mai's shocked flushed one as she was leaning slightly towards Naru.

She turned away from the black clad man sitting opposite her as he stood out of the chair to give her friends room to reach her.

"I'll be going," Naru said as he grabbed his laptop, "I'll see you in the morning but the day after SPR is packing up and leaving until the month is over. We have some leads to investigate,"

From the hug that Kimi and Kai were giving her she watched Naru turn his back to her and walk out the door with a final thud. Tears silently left Mai's eyes while she was asked if she was ok. She would have given anything to know what Naru was thinking right now.

***

He was an idiot! There was no way other way to describe it! Naru could never hold his drink well and after drinking a full bottle of wine by himself he had taken a few mints to hide the evidence on his breath while he waited for Mai to wake up.

Of course he hadn't expected her to give him his brother's unused engagement ring. That had been a shock, especially when he had thought it had been lost since it hadn't been around Gene's neck when he had been found.

After that he didn't know what had come over him. He nearly asked her to marry him for God's sake. He knew that she'd probably remember it tomorrow morning but hopefully he wouldn't. He wanted this grievous mistake taken from his alcohol induced mind.

* * *

**Ok, wow... they almost got married. Well Kai's engagement is coming up next chapter. Sheesh, Mai has so many men in her life! Well I'm quickly growing tired of this story since I have other Ghost hunt ideas I want to write so I will be finishing this off after I return from hol. I already have started the final chapter. Now I just need to fill in the story up till that point. The way I'm leaving the story of I'm thinking of doing a sequel sometime in the future perhaps so tell me what you think of that.**

**Anyway r&r plz**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

She stayed up half the night. She couldn't help herself, that unfinished sentence replaying in her head over and over before she finally groaned with exasperation and burrowed her head in her pillow. If Kai and Kimi hadn't come in what would have happened. Would she have said yes or no? There were so many things to take into account if Naru had pursued his question, including her stay at the university.

Who am I kidding? He didn't even finish the bloody line she scowled. Why did he have to be so abnormal all the time in his interactions with people? He couldn't even finish a centuries old traditional question for God's sake.

"Mai, you gave him the ring," a statement, not a question as she turned to face Gene. Even now she could notice the differences between Naru and Gene. Whereas Naru had grown up Gene was eternally stuck at fifteen. The differences were so startling now that if the two boys were put side to side they would have been thought to be siblings with a few year gaps between them instead of identical twins.

Mai nodded her head and Gene smiled sympathetically, "Thank you Mai!"

***

"Rise and shine sleepyhead!" Kai shouted in Mai's ear, causing her to jump slightly as she sat up rubbing her eyes as she let out a yawn.

"What time is it?" she asked sleepily as she got out of bed while Kai went and lay down on it using his arms as pillows as he stared at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"Around eight thirty and you've no lectures today so I was wondering about to night if you wanted to invite your friends with us to dinner for the announcement. Since you introduced me to them I feel like they're extended family and I'm sure Kimi would like other people to talk to as well apart from us," Kai said staring at her with a smile while he planned out in his head how he would announce the proposal in front of everybody.

"You know," Mai said slyly as she got her clothes out of the wardrobe, "The only reason you want my friends there is because you want to see their surprised faces and get more congratulations and slaps on the back," Kai laughed at that, like usual Mai had seen right through him, "Now get out!" Mai ushered him off her bed and out of her room so she could get changed.

***

Walking into the office was like walking onto an ice covered lake. One wrong move, the ice would crack and you would drown. That was how everyone felt with the state that Naru was in. He had gotten a lecture from Lin about his consumption rate which had only made him grumpier and when the others arrived and found out they tried to hide their amusement, Mai just looked gutted and upset.

As they sat down for lunch Mai announced that they were all to attend a small restaurant that night outside the university grounds as it would be the last time she would see them in a month and also an announcement would be made but when further pressed on the matter her mouth was shut.

The three gossiping men gathered around when the girls left to get ready around five to ponder the possibilities that the night would bring.

"You don't think that tonight Kai's going to pop the question to Mai, do you?" Bou-san asked curiously not even bothering to keep his voice down with Lin and Naru in the office, "Why else would he invite all of us and their friend Kimi if they want to announce their engagement?"

"That's a bit of a jump though, don't you think?" John asked nervously wondering what would happen when Masako found out. She surely wouldn't expect him to propose, would she?

"They've know each other for a couple of years. In relationships that is pretty long," Yasuhara commented with a grin as he saw an annoyed look pass over Naru's face. Any chance to torment their boss had to be taken.

The girls came back to the office soon after this conversation and to Naru's annoyance Kai was with them as well with Kimi and Mai holding onto either of his arms. Naru couldn't help but stare at Mai, she wore a strapless dark grey dress that came to just below her knee and the bottom of the dress had an even darker greyish lining. She caught Naru staring at her and turned away from his intense gaze with a blush before Kai pulled her out the door with everyone else following.

The restaurant they had chosen was small but quite upmarket. They were brought to a large table in the centre of the room and told to sit before given their already ordered meal to eat. Talk over the table was polite as everyone consumed their food. Mai sat with Kai on her left and Bou-san on her right with Naru facing opposite and Lin beside him. Ayako sat beside Bou-san and John and Masako sat next to her with Kimi sitting beside Lin and Kai.

Kimi stared at the Chinese man beside her nervously. He hadn't spoken a word to her, in fact he hadn't spoken a word at all to anyone and his mannerisms made her feel like a child again. The man next to him, while surprisingly good-looking was even worse. He radiated cold distaste at being dragged from his office and as he surveyed the table she couldn't help but feel as if with that one gaze everyone would drop dead.

"Everyone if I could have your attention please," Kai stood up while rapping his wine glass to have everyone quieten down. All of the men at the table exchanged knowing looks with each other. They knew what was coming next. Naru looked anything but gleeful, instead his eyes narrowed dramatically so it actually looked like he was grimacing and Lin himself looked slightly regretful. He was sure that Kai was a nice guy but he didn't fancy spending the next few years cooped up in an office with a depressed angry Naru. Sure the kid had made a few mistakes with Mai in the past but recently he had been getting the feeling that Naru had been trying to make up for it. Now he no longer had the chance, she would be forever taken away from him.

Kai smiled proudly around the table before speaking, "Four years ago a friend introduced me to someone I immediately fell in love with and I knew that that was the girl for me. That was the person I was going to marry," he smiled and produced a small black velvet box from his pocket and everyone could clearly see that his hands were shaking as he turned left and bent down on one knee as he looked at Mai for reassurance before he continued and faced forward,

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes," there was no hesitation in the reply as the two stood and embraced to the shocked amazement of the table before everyone stood up to congratulate the two.

"Mai," she turned to face Bou-san who engulfed her in a hug while whispering the words, "I believe you now!"

***

The rest of the night was uneventful as everyone said their final goodbyes until they would meet again in one month, when it would be the final battle.

A fight to the death

* * *

**Well this chapter was a bit of a struggle to write, the creative juices were just not flowing.**

**Is anyone confused as to who Kai got engaged to? If so go back to chapter 4 to the part where Kai has just left the room and the question that Bou-san poses to Mai and her reply back to him. If you are still confused the sentence abover where Bou-san said 'I believe you' will now make sense and you will finally know who is engaged to who. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The month passed slowly for Mai as she waited for her friends to come back. What made matters even worse was that her phone was useless as there was no signal, not just for her but for everyone else as well. Even the internet wouldn't work. It made her uneasy that she had no contact with anyone outside the university unless she took a five minute drive or the thirty minute walk to town.

Also being in the same flat as the newly engaged Kai and Kimi was sickening to say the least. The amount of oozingly sickingly love being given off made her want to throw up permanently and she spent most of the time in her room. She had her own problems to deal with and didn't want to burden them with hers. Let them enjoy their happiness while it lasted.

She sat up from her bed and was unsurprised to find the spirit of Mitsuko sitting at the edge of her bed staring at her with a soft smile. This was not the first time that she had been visited by Mitsuko had visited her and she had grown well used to the woman's presence following her throughout the school. "So like the daughter I would have wanted," she murmured softly as she brushed Mai's fringe back from her face and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. "Rest Mai. Tomorrow your friends will be back and Masato will be strong enough to start his fight again. Tomorrow will be the final day and Masato will be purified and we can all move on in peace. I have dreamed for this moment for centuries,"

"I'll miss you Mitsuko," Mai whispered fighting back her tears as the woman's presence disappeared leaving her alone again.

One thing was right, tomorrow would end everything at this university.

***

In the early hours of the morning the van pulled up outside of the university and the equipment was brought inside by the SPR members. The morning was cold and damp with a little mist covering the grounds while the sun shone in the horizon showing that dawn was approaching.

"I don't see why we have to come here so early," Ayako muttered as she carted a monitor back into their previous base room. "We could have just slept in Mai's flat again," the Miko was seriously annoyed about missing her beauty sleep and even Bou-san wouldn't rile her up for fear of her anger.

She was left muttering to herself back into the halls while the men brought in the rest of the equipment. Dawn came and went and soon the racket of the university students heading for the bus could be heard. Strict instructions that the university was to be cleared of all students had been given and so a field trip for every student and teacher had been authorised in case anything bad happened during the purification and exorcism.

"Hey guys, I'm going now," the soft voice came from the doorway and everyone stopped to see Mai with kai and Kimi behind her. "I just wanted to call by to say good luck," Mai was pale and everyone in the room noticed how she had obviously lost weight. Apparently the nights hadn't been good to her with her nightmares.

"Ok Mai," Bou-san gave her a quick hug, "We'll see you after this is all done," she smiled wanly back at him before departing for the bus with the couple following her, also giving them their good lucks.

"Now, this is what we're going to do," Naru came out of his office and handed everyone a piece of paper with their instructions on it.

***

"What's going on?" Mai asked as the bus stopped halfway down the avenue, out of site of the school building.

Everyone looked slightly disgruntled at the sudden halt to their journey before it had even begun. They were the last bus to leave the school grounds so every other bus had long gone. The principal exchanged a worried look with Mai while he went to talk to the driver who was quickly checking the dashboard for any sign of what was going on.

"Everyone," the principal shouted to catch the attention of everyone, "We just have a flat wheel. We'll have it fixed and get out of here in a matter of minutes so don't worry,"

Kai turned to Kimi and started reassuring her that everything was going to be fine. Out of this whole bus only Mai, Kai, Kimi and the principal were alert to the fact of the exorcism. And for Mai, her instincts were telling her it was no coincidence that their bus had stopped while the others had gone on. Masato did not want her to leave the grounds and as long as she was on the bus they would never leave.

After fifteen minutes, most of which was swearing by the driver, the tyre at fault was replaced and the bus roared to life and began to drive further down the avenue before it cut out again.

Groans of complaint could be heard from everyone this time and Mai realised what her dreams of the last month had been telling her. She clicked open her seat belt and stood up from her seat and shimmied out onto the bus aisle.

"Mai, where are you going?" kai asked, half rising out of his seat, concern written across his face as he stared at the girl he considered to be a sister. Mai hesitated and stared at her two best friends before smiling.

"I haven't been feeling very well, I'm just going to ask the principal can I step outside for some fresh air while the bus is being fixed," Mai finished her sentence and Kai sat back down in his seat.

Mai continued down the aisle and walked outside. It was freezing cold and a harsh wind hit her face as she took in a deep breath and walking over to the principal and pulled him aside.

"Mr Haruno, I'm not feeling very well," Mai spoke softly so as the bus driver wouldn't hear her, "I'd like to stay on the school grounds. I don't think I'd be able to manage the bus ride," she smiled feebly at the suspicious look she was given. Obviously he had been forewarned to keep an eye on her by Naru.

"I'm not so sure Miss Taniyama," he muttered back, "I was told to take _all_ students with me and to make no exceptions," he glanced uneasily in the direction of the school as if even being close to it worried him.

"Mr Haruno, let me make this clear to you," Mai said, drawing around her an authority that she never tried to use, "I was the one who made you aware to the fact of the haunting. I'm also sure that you are aware of my dreaming abilities and I have foreseen this happening. If you and the bus do not leave, everyone on it will be found slaughtered in the most gruesome manner possible. Do you understand me Mr Haruno?" she asked as the principal turned pale at this news, "The ghost does not want me to leave the grounds today and as long as I stay on the bus you will not depart,"

The principal stared around him, trying to make up his mind. Not once did he look at Mai, not even when he left to get back on the bus and it departed without further halts out the university gates. Mai stared at it again before heading back to the university where the fight was about to be finished.

* * *

**Well guys we're getting pretty close to the end of this story and I have the ending planned out. Not sure if you guys are going to like me for it though. Heh heh heh :(**

**For all you Naru Mai fans **

**'do you promise to love and protect him until death do you part'**

**'I do'**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The school was quiet, more so than what she was used to. There was no hustle and bustle as students walked along the corridors chatting with their friends as they went to their classes. A shiver went down Mai's spine as she entered the building and for a second she considered staying outside on the grounds by the fountain for the rest of the day but the result would be the same. Masato would just come and drag her back into the building anyway so why not just go in. Perhaps that would keep him away from her in the first place if he didn't have to seek her out.

She breathed calmly, or at least tried to, but knowing that you could die at any moment does nothing to help your breathing. And her heart rate was erratic as she crept along the corridors to the base. She needed to get to them before Masato got to her and that would not be a pleasant experience.

Her dreams told her if nothing else that her future had changed. As SPR left she had had a dream of dying in the school library but that had been in a few months time, not now. Now she was doomed to die buried under something with no hope of help getting to her in time. She needed to find someone quickly.

She knew that she was being foolish running along these corridors when she should have left through the school gates but somehow she had a feeling that even if she had tried to leave not on the bus she would have been unsuccessful. Besides she couldn't leave her friends to face him alone. He had a trap set along the corridor. As soon as they entered that corridor to the library they were doomed. The booby trap was nasty and seemed to be based on prehistoric traps like those the Egyptians would have used to guard their tombs. It was one of those switches that the minute you stepped on a certain place, poof, out goes your existence.

She increased her pace; it had been almost an hour since she had wished everyone good luck and no doubt the purification had started. Not knowing what else to do and ignoring her fast pacing thoughts she dashed into the base. No one was there.

Back in the corridor she went without pause as she began her frantic search for her friends, racing down corridors. Where were they? WHERE WERE THEY?

Without meaning or thinking to she found herself at the end of the library corridor. Halfway along it stood the library doors and opposite them a staircase. Standing at the opposite end of the corridor was a deformed figure that she instantly recognised as Mitsuko's husband.

"So you came even knowing the possibility of the outcome," he murmured to himself before fixing a small genuine smile at her, "You came here before they did to warn them of the corridor," his grin turned wider and crueller, "They've finished the purification ritual you know and every spirit but mine has gone. Even now they hunt me down,"

"It doesn't have to be like this. Mitsuko loves you, she always did," Mai pleaded with him, "She never rejected you by cheating. She loved you, and she wants you to move on so you can both be happy in the afterlife," Mai said, remembering as Mitsuko had told her:

_A long time ago, so long I can barely remember the century I lived with my parents in a country house and as a young girl I grew up with two best friends. Kurochi Misato and Aizawa Hanzo. I loved both of them, Hanzo as a friend and Misato as something more. _

_Misato was always unwell as an infant and his disfigurement did nothing to please his father. He grew up a dejected child and when we both turned eighteen he asked for my hand in marriage. I was so happy that I immediately said yes, and even though my father had been planning for me to wed Hanzo he wanted me to be happy and so in the spring of the next year we were married to one another under the sakura trees in his garden._

_We had a peaceful life living at his house together with his father, for his mother had been long dead, and when his father passed away Masato grew into something I no longer recognised. He became possessive over me, always wanting to know where I was and what I was doing. It scared me and when Hanzo came to visit I spoke to him of it._

_Misato became blinded by his new personality and became mistrustful of every man that I talked with including Hanzo. He banned me from speaking to him or anyone else unless I had his permission or he was there to monitor us._

_Out of my love for him I tried to abide by these restrictions but they made me unhappy and I missed my friend so the next time Hanzo came to visit I snuck out to meet him and telling him that Masato no longer welcomed him. He was confused and became angry when he learned how depressed I had become over the last few years._

_Masato found us hiding while we spoke and an argument broke out. Hanzo stormed off, saying that he would be back with my father to sort everything out and made me promise to keep myself safe. Back in the house, Masato grew livid with me. He claimed that I had been cheating on him. I tried to dismiss his claims as preposterous but he wouldn't believe me and in a fit of rage he murdered me before committing suicide. _

_Our spirits lingered in this house but I always hid from him, too scared to face him. As the years moved on, new families moved in with new scandals and Masato grew livid as he saw people being unfaithful to one another and that was how everything started. He would possess the men to try and convince the women to stay with them and if it failed he took the girls' souls and trapped them here. If it was a success then he let the couple move on in peace._

"Loved me?" Masato laughed eerily, his voice echoing down the corridor, "She was poisonous," his tone turned lighter, "Why don't you come closer dear Mai. You know as well as I do that the traps don't start until the stairway,"

He held out his hand to her and without thinking she automatically began to walk forward without meaning to. She had no control over her body, he could have thrown her over the railing and down onto the floor below and she would have been helpless but he didn't. Mai stopped just before the staircase and felt her body released of his hold. But it was scary to think that he could control her without much effort.

"You are so like her, you know," he said reproachfully, "You just seem to radiate off kindness and love but that didn't stop you from rejecting your boss,"

With a flick of his hand she was back in his control and went slamming into the wall. The moment she came in contact with it, pain shooted up her side and a whimper crept out of her mouth. With another flick of his hand she went shooting to her left and into the banister. She cracked her rib on the wooden edge and stared in horror as she dangled precariously over it. The force sent her spinning over and she gripped tightly onto the railings. Insane laughter could be heard echoing throughout the large hallway as she stared at the ground, roughly two floors below her. The force left her just as her grip began to weaken and she sighed with relief, trying to flick a strand of blue hair out of her eyes. Pain shot up her right arm as she began to pull herself up.

"MAI!" the voice came from down below and in slow motion Mai looked down past her feet to the floor so far below. Naru stood staring up at her with an unfathomable expression and beside him where her friends. They all stared up at her but were still saying their exorcism rituals.

She knew that as long as the ritual still had to be completed they would be unable to help her and she didn't resent them for that fact. They were doing their job.

Naru stared at her for a second more before he bolted up the staircase, skipping two steps at a time and Mai frozein shock replaying over in her mind what her dreams had shown her. She glanced quickly at Masato and saw a look of expectancy on his face as if he was a dog finally getting his bone as she hauled herself over the railings and back onto secure ground. Her dream replayed in her mind again.

As soon as he stepped onto the small fish styled mosaic coming off the stairs a bomb would go off sending wooden shards plummeting with precision into his body. Without thinking she ran calling out to him but he didn't stop as he ascended. Glancing at the ghost she saw a grim satisfied smile on his face as Naru stepped off the stairs only to have Mai push him out of the way as the bomb went off immediately.

A second beforehand the disfigured ghost appeared in front of her and she could do nothing but stare at him as he plunged his hand into her chest where her heart was. If she had been given the chance to double over in pain she would have collapsed but the explosion caught her off guard even though she had been expecting it. The noise was bad enough but the searing heat was enough to make her scream out in pain as her skin went numb so she didn't even feel any shards of debris penetrate her body.

Through the mist and debris given off, a light shone bright and inhumanly pure as the exorcism was completed as Lin, Ayako, John and Bou-san uttered the final words and waited for Masako to confirm that the spirit had gone. Masato stared around him at the destruction and his smile turned to horror as the purification took affect over him. His form flickered in and out before he disappeared completely but no one noticed him go.

All attention was centred just above the stairs. Bou-san and Masako were screaming for Mai to answer them while the men tried to find a way up the demolished staircase. The bomb, although small had caused the entire staircase to collapse, only leaving the remnants of the steps attached to the wall. It was quite lucky for everyone below that there had been no first story floor as part of the staircase and library floor would have caused the floor to collapse and they may not have had time to evacuate. But as it was, they had managed to stay safe and only now were suffering the effects of the dust-filled air.

Naru coughed as the smoke smothered him making it harder to breathe and he tried vainly to make sense of what had just happened. He had been coming off the stairs, Mai had pushed him out of the way and the bomb had gone off. The searing heat had been enough to make him scream out in pain, not to mention the force of which he had been pushed back with.

MAI

That was his one focus and he scrambled onto his feet desperately and ran forward to where he last remembered her being. Her small form was on the floor and he felt horror wash through him as he noticed the patches of blood flooding out of her shirt and the wood sticking out of her abdomen.

She rasped in quick short breaths and when she saw him head towards her over the debris her eyes brightened slightly before widening in alarm as another bomb went off at both ends of the corridors causing everything to shake and Naru leapt onto Mai to cover her from the debris and rubble heading towards them.

The corridor shook with the force of the blast before it collapsed completely to the dismay of their friends below.

* * *

**Well guys, sorry for the late update. It pretty much had to do with the internet being confiscated thanks to my brother and I only got on the laptop because I'm supposed to be finishing my geography coursework but instead I was typing up this chapter and the one after this and then the epilogue so if I'm counting right I have two updates left for this story so thanks to everyone who has stuck with me and had to listen to my constant complaining about my life! :)**

As it is in the complaints department, why the hell do we have thunder, lightening and heavy rain showers in the middle of the SUMMER for gods sake!! We should be having cloudless skies. WAHHHH!!

ciao


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Mai can you hear me?" Naru whispered to the girl he cradled gently in his arms. He hoped desperately that there were no more bombs ready to be set off. If it hadn't been for a crossbeam that had swung down over them, the debris of the ceiling would have crushed them during the fall but now they were left in a small air bubble with plenty of room to move around and stand up in if they wished. Now the only thing they had to worry about was getting Mai out of here and perhaps running out of oxygen.

_Think practically Naru_, he thought desperately. _We've managed to survive a two story fall and most likely have too much debris on top of us to get us out in under two hours. If everyone works effectively we could be out of here in at least seven hours…_ Naru trailed off, knowing that Mai didn't have those seven hours left if she didn't get treated and the amount of air they had would not sustain two people for seven hours or more.

Darkness surrounded him but not once did he worry about where he was. He only worried about her. The splinter of wood was still stuck in her abdomen and he didn't dare to pull it out. He held her in his arms, not caring for the blood that covered him as he did so. The bandages that he had tied over her wounds hadn't lasted long and he had nothing left to use to prohibit the bleeding. She had been asleep for a while and he wanted her to have rest. If they were to both get out alive from this dark hell, then she needed strength but some part of him told him that he shouldn't have let her go to sleep. Who was to say that she would wake up? He shook his head, no he couldn't think like that. She _would_ wake up, she _would_ survive.

Naru shifted Mai in his arms as he decided to lie her down while he went and tried to find an opening of sorts amongst the ceiling around them. Mai's hand clutched onto his shirt tighter and she slowly opened her eyes, "Don't leave me," her voice was weaker than it should have been and he had to strain his ears to listen. Her brown eyes widened in panic at the thought of dying alone like in her dream. She may be dying, even she knew that, but Naru was here. That had to count for something.

"I won't Mai, I won't leave," Naru whispered back unsure why he was doing so. Why did people always whisper in the dark? A primitive instinct of not to alert anything with evil intent to your presence, the scientist part of his brain thought. But the spirit had been purified; there was no more danger from the paranormal community in this university.

"Thanks," she said, aiming to add brightness into her tone but failing desperately. She winced at breathing and talking at the same time as it caused the wood inside her to move slightly, wondering how much more of this pain she would have to endure before she could rest peacefully. But at least I'm not alone; she thought to herself and allowed a small smile to grace her lips.

"Well you don't need to worry," he added to reassure her as much as himself, "The others will find us and we'll get you to a hospital. Then you'll be fine and we can go out to dinner afterwards," he smiled slightly as he added in the last part as an afterthought and raised his voice slightly so it was no longer a whisper.

"You're asking me out? I think it's a bit too late for that Naru," she rasped and before Naru could protest that she would be fine she spoke again after wiping away some blood that left her mouth, "I saw an altered version of this in my dream. I know I'm going to die Naru; it's only a matter of time before blood loss takes its toll and my heart slows down. Even now I feel so tired," her voice trailed off as she gulped before coughing and then whimpering in the pain it had brought as well as the intense pain she felt in her heart.

She knew that when Masato had plunged his hand inside her, that somehow he had managed to damage her heart and even now she was aware of her heart beating slowly.

Naru stared at her, his cold mannerism breaking down as he thought of her dying and leaving him like Gene had.

"Mai?" he started hesitantly unsure how to start but if Kai had the guts to do it then so did he. Now was just as good time as ever. If what she had said about dying was true he wanted to say this while he had the chance. He wanted her to know.

"Last month when we went to the restaurant, we all thought that Kai was going to propose to you," that got a laugh from her before it broke off as she winced in pain; "Well I didn't like it," he winced himself, feeling like an idiot for talking like a love sick romantic fool, "And since then I was thinking. The night before when I almost asked you to marry me I was drunk and I'm sure you realised that the morning after. But now I'm not," he stared into her eyes which were registering shock as she gathered what he was going to say, "When you came to me at the lake to say you loved me five years ago, I should have said it back but I was stupid and not thinking properly and because of that we said things to each other that aren't worth mentioning," he gulped slightly as he saw her eyes close for two seconds before flickering open again as she fought to stay awake, "I do love you Mai and I want to know- I mean would you Mai Taniyama marry a narcissist Naru like me?" he smiled slightly at the pathetic attempt of a joke thinking that if this had been his proper proposal then he would rather not have proposed at all.

"I'd have to think about that," she teased him and he wondered how she could be like that bright sweet sixteen year old girl even now when she was facing death. How could this world survive without the bright happiness of this girl, "I think the answer would have to be yes," she smiled at him.

He unwrapped his arms around her and laid her head in his lap while he unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt and undid a silver linked chain and brought it out. On the chain was a silver ring, not unlike the one that Gene had owned, and in it was set three stones. The two outside stones were diamond but unlike Gene's the middle one was an amethyst.

As he took it off the chain he muttered to Mai, "I suppose I have to thank my mother for her proposal idea. It is quite handy,"

He took Mai's left hand, ignoring the dried blood on it and slipped the engagement ring onto her finger and stared at it with a strange proudness in his heart. For some reason ever since he had first met her all those years ago he had always wanted to see that ring on her finger and now he finally was. It could have been in better circumstances but really and truly beggars can't be choosers.

"Naru," her voice came even more softly than before, "I'll wait for you in the afterlife. Meet someone else Naru and live a long life," she broke off as pain racked her body and she clutched his shirt tightly until it dulled again.

"Don't leave me," she whispered again desperately as her breathing became unsteady and she stared wildly at him while tears leaked from his eyes.

"I'm here, I'm here," he said reassuringly, wiping her hair away from her pale face, "I won't leave… just don't leave me," the last sentence broke off as his voice caught in his throat but his plea fell on unheard ears and vacant eyes stared into his.

"Mai," he gave her a slight shake, "Mai?" he shouted and raced through his life saving lessons quickly in his head.

He checked for breathing… None.

Did she have a heart beat? … No

Where her airways clear? … Yes

He placed his left hand on her chest and then put his right hand on top before beginning his compressions.

…one…two…three..four …twenty-eight…twenty-nine… thirty…

Removing his hands he tipped her head back, pinching her nose with one hand and holding her chin he made sure his mouth covered hers while breathing out. Out of the corner of his eyes he made sure that her chest rose and deflated before beginning the compressions again.

He stared at her blank face and couldn't help but wonder had she known she was going to die the moment she stepped inside the school building. Did she not care what it would do to him? The pain it would put him through?

…twenty-two…twenty-three… twenty-four…

"It's useless you know. She's dead. Her soul's moved on from her body and it won't be coming back. Not for you, or anyone else," a female voice echoed around the slight darkness startling him. He had gotten used to the idea of it just being the two of them here. He hadn't expected that wretched wife of Misato to appear.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he finished the compressions and went back to mouth to mouth.

"All of the women's spirits have moved on. Their bodies were buried here and I've taken them so that they may finally rest in peace," she smiled serenely and then pointed at Mai's body, "That body is the last to have died due to my husband. I'm taking it so Mai can move on," Mitsuko glowed brightly, lighting up the small world that had been created in the ruins and in turn Mai's body glowed as if light radiated out of her.

"No," Naru cried out frantically, all semblance of his usual self gone, "Wait! You can't take her from me!" he hugged her closer to his chest but there was nothing there to hug as the light faded, nothing but air.

He stared at his arms in disbelief, wondering how it was even possible that he could be left behind. She was gone, body and soul. He had nothing left of her to him apart from photographs.

Grief tore him apart as he sat alone in the gloom wondering how everyone he seemed to care most for always seemed to leave him.

No more lemon tea

No more mock arguments

No more bright smiles or twinkling eyes

No more empathetic gestures

Nothing

***

"Gene," the boy in question turned to see a woman slightly taller than he was with long brown hair and blue streaks running through it staring at him with wide brown eyes.

"Mai, what are you doing here?" he asked wondering how she could have gotten here since he hadn't called her to talk or show her anything.

"I came here to ask you something," she said as she walked until she was a step away from him. He reached out to her and jolted back in surprise as his hand passed through her.

In this dream world he should be able to touch Mai. For his hand to go right through her she would have to be…

"No," he whispered, taking a step back as if he had been stung, "No, I didn't want this," he said horror-struck as he stared at the beautiful girl in front of him who had a sad smile on her face.

"We never really get what we want Gene," she held up her left hand to show him an engagement ring as familiar to him as his own, "Not without it being snatched away from us," she let her hand drop again while staring at it depressed.

"Why did you come here? You should have moved on?" he asked, unable to comprehend anything while hoping that she wasn't stuck here like he had been at the beginning. Unable to move forward or back.

"I was moving on but then I thought of you," she said clearly, "And I wanted to know if you would come with me," she left words unspoken but he knew her well enough that the thought of moving on scared her. She was terrified of the great unknown.

"I can't Mai," he stared at the women he had loved just as much as his brother did and it hurt to turn her down when she needed him and his reassurance, "Naru needs me now more than ever. There's nothing scary about the next part of death Mai," he reassured her, "It's a better life there I'm sure," he smiled as a bright light shone around her like it did to all other spirits moving on to the next life.

"How do you know?" she asked quickly, "You've never moved on," the light grew brighter, "Gene," she shouted and reached her hand out to him. He stared at her hesitantly before he tried to reach out to her but before their hands could connect the light consumed her and Gene was left staring at the spot she had been standing.

She was- dead. Mai was dead.

The bright happy girl, so compassionate to others, living or not, was dead. He would never see that charming smile of hers or those sparkling eyes that were like the opening to her thoughts.

He collapsed onto the grass, feeling infinitely older than his years, where not so long ago he had given her his engagement ring. And then it hit him, the fact that had taken so long to register in his mind. Naru's engagement ring had been in her finger. He had finally asked her to marry him but he'd been too late.

Now he could only imagine what his twin was feeling. But he was sure that he himself wasn't too far from his brother's thoughts along with Mai. He could only hope now that his brother wouldn't do anything too stupid like take his life into his own hands.

* * *

**Well this chapter sucks because I am rubbish writing death scenes. Aw well... Epilogue and then we're finished**

**Ok I have a few questions that I need answered so if anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.**

1) In the anime is Lin 27 and if not what age is he? (cuz I looked in wikipedia and his age wasn't stated)

2) Naru said Gene was a perfect Medium. So what's the difference between a medium and a perfect medium?

3) Also, since Gene could be considered Mai's spirit guide and she has clayrivonce, is Mai considered a medium?

**This is more of a request that anything else but if anyone can explain how tarot cards work and how you use them then please PM me cuz I'm forming an idea for a Ghost Hunt story, but I need to know about Tarot cards. Thanks**


	16. Chapter 16

**Dedicated to the people who reviewed last chapter :) and who helped me out with my questions**

**Kaydreams, jasper 1863, YunaNeko, Eclipse Moon Vi Yue, Heavenslilagl420, Emina105, girlX901, urworstnightmare, Aira and Flamegirl5500**

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**Chapter 16 – Epilogue**

The airplane landed smoothly on the black tarmac of the runway. It had arrived exactly on time and two people watched from an observatory window as the passengers disembarked from the plane they had been on for numerous hours.

To the two men, only three of the hundreds of passengers were important. They were quickly spotted even though they blended in perfectly with all the travel-weary passengers and tourists and Lin's eyes brightened but Naru's stayed dull. Not much could get Naru out of his sunken depression, not even Madoka and his parents' arrival made him feel better or interested in his surroundings. He just viewed the world differently now, a life without Mai seemed incomplete now.

All he knew was that early that morning, Lin had come storming in, tossed clothes at him and told him to hurry and get up. It had taken ten minutes as he got ready for him to remember that he was to go to the airport. Actually, he was implied that he had a choice in the matter, Naru thought disgusted, he was forced to go. If he had had his way he would have… have what? Stayed in the recluse library like he had for the last month? He doubted that he would have? At first the silence had been a blessing for him to sort out his thoughts but then it had seemed to press down on him.

Nothing seemed to interest him anymore.

To people on the outside it seemed that Naru was no longer with them. When they called his name, he no longer answered, when he glanced at them his eyes stayed dull and no recognition flashed through them. He no longer responded to taunts of any kind and even Lin couldn't get a word out of him.

Even a hug from his mother didn't bring him out of his head and as she stared into her son's lifeless eyes something within her heart shattered. It wasn't right for a parent to see their child so broken. It wasn't meant to be that way.

"Noll," she stared at him speculatively before glancing back at Martin for reassurance, "Are you listening to me?"

No reply.

She wrapped her arm comfortingly around his shoulder as they departed from the airport, "When's the memorial service?" she asked Lin.

Due to the fact that Mai's body had been missing there had been a large scale search but nothing had been revealed. The search had gone on for a week but had eventually been called off. Due to the fact that there was no body no funeral service could take place.

"Tomorrow morning," Lin replied gruffly as he gestured everyone to get in the car.

Naru sat in the front seat of the car staring at his window reflection while ignoring everyone's attempts to speak to him.

"You really are quite a mess Noll," a softer voice said in his head.

"What do you expect? Me to be happy and smiling?" his voice held a sneer but his face stayed impassive as usual.

"No but you could at least let your grief out instead of bottling it up. If you don't watch it, mum will send you back to that Psychiatrist Linda," Gene smiled in the reflection before saying sarcastically, "You know the one you love so much, who insisted you needed fluffy toy animals as a child instead of disturbing ghost stories!" Naru scowled at the thought of that overly bright enthusiastic women who he very much disliked.

The car practically stopped as Lin noticed the first emotion to cross Naru's face in a while, severe annoyance, before it receded again.

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Lin brought them back to the house they had been living in for the last few years and brought in everyone's suitcases.

As they entered the house Naru immediately went to his room and shut the door firmly behind him in a gesture that obviously meant do not disturb me.

"Has he been this way since that girl's death?" Martin asked anxiously staring after his son. Out of the two twins, Gene had always been the more sociable one but Naru would always have been polite enough to stay for ten minutes before going about his business, he never brushed off company so rudely before.

"Pretty much," Lin sighed as he took a drink of tea that Madoka had made, "Ever since we found him under the debris he hasn't really spoken much. Only to convey that we wouldn't find her body. He hasn't said what happened before we found him though," Lin sighed helplessly, "I don't know what's running through his head anymore,"

"It's ok Koujo," Masako smiled gently as she sat down beside him and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Lin tell me about this Taniyama Mai," Luella said quietly, "I think I would have liked her!"

Naru smiled as he slid down the wall beside his door. There was no doubt about it, he thought, if mum and Mai had met, they would have been as thick as thieves.

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"Naru," Luella called rapping at his door before entering, "Here's your freshly ironed white shirt," she held it out to him and he wordlessly took it from her and put it on.

Luella walked to the door before pausing, "Naru," she stopped and decided against it before heading out the door. If he wanted to talk about it, he would.

A sigh escaped from behind her, "What is it mother?" the voice sounded emotionless and she turned to stare at her son who was shrugging on his black jacket.

"Where's your engagement ring?" she spoke softly and watched him freeze before he stared at her with grief flickering through his eyes.

"Naru," Luella walked to her son, "It's ok to let it out you know. From what Lin told me about Mai she wouldn't have wanted you to cut yourself off from everybody," she gave him a brief hug before walking into the guest room they were staying in and closed the door so she could get changed.

"Another employee funeral to attend," Martin said fixing his tie as he came out of the ensuite looking incredibly uncomfortable in his funeral attire.

"Not just an employee dear. She would have been our daughter-in-law given the chance," Luella paused, figuring that her chance of ever having grandchildren was looking bleak now and she wondered how many more losses the family would have to take before everything would work out in the end.

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"Today we are gathered to celebrate the life of Taniyama Mai. A close friend, a colleague and a good student," John said wiping away his tears as he stared at the crowd gathered on the cold day.

Everyone at SPR was there and seated in the front row along with Kimi and Kai. All of Mai's high school and University friends were there as well as neighbours and teachers.

She was kind, caring and selfless. Her smile was a blessing to see and freely given to everyone. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind and was truly one of God's children,"

Naru sat staring at the ex-priest and although he truly described her, his words didn't do her enough justice. It wasn't just her lips that smiled but her eyes as well.

"Naru," Gene spoke in his head like he had been doing so often over the last month, "This conversation has to be quick but go the lake," there was no further explanation to this statement and Naru knew he probably wouldn't get one.

Wondering what Gene was up to Naru stood up and walked out of the small packed chapel, not looking back.

Out in the cold air he paused before taking brisk purposeful strides to the park opposite, which if he remembered faintly had a lake which must be the one that Gene was talking about.

He walked into the centre of the park quickly. The lake was small and clear, and as he stood by the waterside staring at his reflection he saw Gene wink at him before disappearing.

What on earth was going on? Naru queried, surely if Gene wished to talk he wouldn't just vanish on him! But then his brother had always been weird like that, Naru reasoned slightly before turning away from the water to return to the chapel. If his brother wanted to speak to him, he could do it later.

"Naru," that voice calling his name almost had him tripping over his feet to turn around quickly enough.

Standing on the water's surface she smiled at him slightly, "The afterlife's not so bad Naru," she laughed at his shocked expression, "But soon after I realised there was something I left unsaid to you,"

He gazed at his fiancée in shock thinking that she was actually alive before he realised that in the light he could see through her. Mai was wearing the same clothes she'd died in. A pair of denim skinny jeans, green top with a purple jacket but he was relieved to see they weren't torn or bloodstained like they had been the last time he saw her.

For once in his life he was actually speechless.

"Naru, I don't like the way you've been acting towards everyone. I'm pretty sure you weren't brought up with bad manners," she said reprovingly and he almost laughed when she had that familiar stubborn expression on her face, "I don't like your attitude so as soon as we're done talking I want you to apologise to everyone. Are we clear?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly while she waited for his reply.

"Yeah, but it's just so hard," he smiled slightly as he noticed the tears running down her face before he himself was blinded by them.

"Well tough. Life's supposed to be hard Naru. And if you arrive before your time I'm kicking your ass," she said threatening him before allowing a smile to grace her face, "One last thing. I haven't said it to you in five years, I love you Naru but I still want you to move on. I'm not the only girl in the world. Meet someone new and try not to scare them away,"

"As if Mai and you didn't have to come back to say all that. I already knew it you idiot," he said staring at her impassively.

"Bah! You still make my blood boil," she yelled at him shaking her fist.

"What blood Mai?" Naru raised one of his eyebrows sceptically, "You're dead!"

"Why you jerk. Just you wait, I'll get you back for that," she muttered to herself something about haunting the damn narcissist before glancing behind him with a smile and bowed.

She walked towards him with a sad smile and before she stepped off the water to him she whispered goodbye. When her feet touched the ground she disappeared but Naru could swear that he could smell lavender.

He heard footsteps approaching him and he had no doubt in his mind who had followed him from the chapel.

"Was that Mai?" his mother asked staring uncertainly at him as he stepped away from the water yet again.

"Honestly mother, who else would it be? You're nearly as bad as she was," he said dryly as he walked past her and back up the embankment.

Luella smiled brightly as she watched her son's retreating back. So it was true, that girl could work miracles were Naru was concerned.

She turned to the lake and bowed back, "Thank you," she murmured and she could have sworn she heard laughter.

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**Whew, finally done. To confirm: mai is dead but Naru being moody was keeping her from moving on peacefully. Yet again not so good with sad scenes but hey, I can only improve from here on out.**

**I'd just like to thank everyone who has stuck with me while writing this story. Don't think I would have done it without you guys. Special thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter and made it possible for this story to be over 100 reviews. YAY**

**Oh before I forget thanks to girlX901, I'm getting help on the tarot cards thing. Sheesh it is so confusing. Apparently I'm after oracle tarot cards or such. So thank you. :)**

**I think thats about it. Oh wait, it's not. I'm thinking of a sequel and I have a chapter written in my notebook but I'm thinking of changing it so... don't be waiting for a sequel anytime soon but knowing me it could be published next week. God knows! **

**Well goodbye and now I can finally concentrate on my other fanfics. Oh!!!! I get to press the complete button for this story now. YAY I'm so excited. LOL :) BYE**


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